Family Friendship Love
by yellowstar128
Summary: Series of mostly adorable one-shots and vignettes. Primarily BatFam-BMWW, some SMLL-SuperFam. Each chapter can be read alone. Foundation of my Earth-128 AU. Fluff. Original and modified children of the League.
1. Picture of Family: Dick

This is my new AU. I call it Earth 128. It's very similar to my other AUs but I think I've worked out most of the kinks this time. I'm going to post some details about it in my profile but basically these are mostly happy stories that deal with the Leaguers love lives, families, friendships etc. To do this I've taken from a lot of different sources and made up some stuff. I hope you like it.

Warning! Future: BMWW, SMLL, Hal/Carol, Flash/Iris, Arthur/Mera, John/Shayera, Ollie/Dinah, Dick/Babs, Jason/Steph, Tim/Tam, Spitfire

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**Summary: **Dick's partner sees him in the paper. (_Year 17)_

**AN:** Another short one.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine, the rest belongs to DC Comics.

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It was spring and Detective Dick Grayson and his partner Captain Amy Rohrbach were sitting in a booth at Chick-fil-A eating lunch. Dick was checking his e-mail on his phone and Amy was absently flipping through a newspaper while they ate. Amy was surprised when she turned the page and found her partner's face staring back at her.

Amy knew her partner was the adopted son of Bruce Wayne. It had come up about a year after he had joined the force. But what that really meant had never really sunk in until that moment, until she was looking at his face in the society pages.

The headline read "Wayne Family Goes to the Fair" and it was the accompanying photo that had caught her attention. On the far left of the photo was Dick with his arm wrapped around a redhead Amy knew was his wife Barbara.

"Good weekend?" She asked him casually.

"It was okay." Dick replied without looking up.

"Anything interesting happen?" She asked.

"Not really. I had this family thing I had to go to." Dick replied still looking at his phone.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure." He replied, finally looking up.

"How many siblings do you have?" She tossed the folded page toward him.

Dick looked at the photo and a small grin eased its way onto his face. It had been taken at the Martha Wayne Foundation Spring Fair the previous Saturday. It wasn't one of the formal ones taken at the beginning of the day but still showed all twelve of the Waynes. They had been gathered around a picnic table at the end of the day and the photographer from the Gazette had stumbled upon them on his way to one of the concession stands. Everyone was looking at the camera except for Matt whom was asleep on Jason's lap. Cassandra had pink cotton candy in one hand and was sporting a large grin, there was a spot of powdered sugar on Alex's face from her snitching some of Tim's funnel cake off the table in front of her and Diana was holding a large teddy bear in a Batman t-shirt that Bruce had won her earlier in the afternoon. It was more like the photos Dick had on the wall at home than what usually appeared in the paper.

"Five brothers, three sisters." Dick replied, his smile widening.

"I can't even imagine." Amy shook her head.

"You get used to it." Dick said with a shrug.

"Are you close?" She asked curious.

"Yeah." Dick replied, making a mental note to call the Gazette later for a copy of the photo. "We're close."

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	2. Picture of Family: Tim

**Summary: **Tim graduates from high school. (_Year 15)_

**AN:** All the Wayne children go to Gotham Academy on Earth 128. Short chapter, sorry.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine, the rest belongs to DC Comics.

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The entire third row of the Gotham Academy auditorium is taken up by Tim Drake-Wayne's family. His adoptive parents, Bruce and Diana, are sitting on the end with 4-year-old Matt between them. Sitting on the other end of the row are Tim's four best friends: Conner Kent, Cassandra Sandsmark, Bart Allen and Stephanie Brown. Between them are Tim's seven other siblings, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon and Donna Troy.

Tim is standing in the queuing area with the rest of the graduates. They're all excited, even him. He knows his family is out there and though no one has said anything, Tim knows it's the largest group there for a single graduate and for some reason that makes him happy.

The music starts and they file out into the chairs waiting for them. Tim attentively listens to all the speeches, some of them are actually pretty good, but he knows in a few months he won't remember them. They call his name and he walks across the stage but it's so fast the moment doesn't have the weight he was expecting it to. It's not long before he is following the recessional back out of the auditorium.

He finds his family outside and they greet him with hugs and congratulations and pats on the back. To him it wasn't some grand achievement like everyone is making it out to be, it was just high school, but when Bruce claps him on the shoulder and looks into his eyes and says "I'm proud of you." Tim nearly cries.

Donna takes a million pictures; at least that's what it feels like. Tim and Bruce, Tim between Bruce and Diana, Tim and each of his siblings, Tim and all of his siblings, Tim and various combinations of his siblings, Tim and all of his friends, Tim with just Conner and Bart, Tim with just Cassie and Stephanie, and on and on until finally half a dozen people are growling at Donna to hurry up and she begs for just one more. She grabs the man standing behind her, one of the teachers, and asks him to take a picture of all of them together. Tim hears her whisper to him to take like 6 in case some one blinks or something. She jogs over and stands on the end next to Cassie. When they look at the pictures later the forth one is the best.

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	3. Picture of Family: Mar'i and Matt

**Summary: **Mar'i and Matt each give a presentation on their family at school. (_Year 20)_

**AN:** The family will be better explained here. Thanks to my 2 reviewers.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine, the rest belongs to DC Comics.

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"Next up is Mar'i Grayson." Mrs. Miller said.

Mar'i took a deep breath and walked to the front of her 4th grade class while Mrs. Miller opened her PowerPoint. When she got to the front of the room 42 eyes completely unlike hers were staring back at her. She gulped and looked down at her cards.

"Remember to look at the audience." Mrs. Miller said from behind her desk.

Mar'i nodded and looked up.

"Hi." She cleared her throat. "Hi, I'm Mar'i Grayson, and this is my family." She waved at the screen behind her where several pictures were projected with the title My Family.

Mrs. Miller clicked and the screen changed.

Mar'i looked up at the picture and swallowed. "This is my mom. Some of you might know her as Starfire. When I was little I lived with her on New Tamaran but last year, when the fighting got _really_ bad, she sent me to live with my dad here on Earth." She nodded at the teacher to change the slide.

"This is my dad. His name is Dick Grayson." Mar'i stopped until most of the snickering had stopped. "And this is my step-mom Barbara Gordon-Grayson. I live with them now and my little sister, Annie. She's only my half-sister because we have different moms but that doesn't matter to me." She nodded for the teacher to change the slide.

"On New Tamaran, I'm a Princess, like my mom and it is kind of cool but I like it on Earth better. On Earth, there isn't so much fighting and you don't have to worry about bombs and chemical weapons all the time." The class looked confused when she said chemical weapons but Mar'i didn't notice.

"My mom was busy a lot of the time so I had to be by myself a lot and I got lonely. But here, I always have Annie to keep me company and even if Dad and Barbara are busy they're always _there_. It's nice." Mar'i said. The teacher clicked the slide again to make sure it was the end.

"Does anyone have any questions for Mar'i?" The teacher asked as she had after everyone's presentations.

"Where is New Tamaran?" One boy asked after the teacher had called on him.

"It's in the Vega system." Mar'i replied.

Mrs. Miller called on a girl asked next. "How old is your sister?"

"She's two." Mar'i replied.

Mrs. Miller limited all the speakers to 3 questions but she was wishing she had stopped at 2 when the third student asked, "Is that why your eyes are so green? Because your mom is from Tamaran?"

"Yes." She replied simply, not seeming fazed.

"Good job Mar'i." The teacher said and she moved back toward her desk. "Next up is Matt Wayne."

Matt passed Mar'i on his way to the front and whispered something to her. The girl smiled so Mrs. Miller didn't say anything about it.

"This is my family." Matt started waving at the screen where a single picture with lots of people was in the center with the My Family title at the bottom.

He waved at Mrs. Miller to change the slide. She suppressed a grin; every kid was different.

"These are my parents." He said. "Bruce and Diana Wayne. They're kind of famous." Matt shrugged and waved for the teacher to change the slide.

"These are my brothers: Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Terry." He said pointing to each. "Dick is the oldest, he's the responsible one." He paused while everyone snickered again. "Jason is the cool one, sometimes he'll pick up me and Terry from school and take us for pizza and let us play vid games." He smiled wide. "Tim is the smart one, he's the one you go to when something breaks, like the computer or the TV. Damian is the serious one and Terry is the mean one." No one could tell but Mar'i rolled her eyes. Matt waved for Mrs. Miller to change the slide.

"These are my sisters: Cassandra, Helena, and Alexandria." He said point to each of the three females in one of the pictures. "Cass is the quiet one, Lena is the girly one but she's at college right now so I don't see her much. And Alex is the smart one, she is the one you go to when you have issues with your homework." He pointed at the other picture on the screen. "These are my sister-in-laws. Barbara is Dick's wife and Stephanie is Jason's wife. They're both pretty cool." A few students looked back at Mar'i and Matt waved at the teacher to change the slide again.

"This is some of the rest of my family." Matt said gesturing at the screen where several pictures were displayed. "My Aunts Donna and Cassie, my nieces Mar'i and Annie, Alfred, and my godparents Uncle John and Aunt Dinah. That's it, any questions?" Matt asked before the teacher could.

"If Mar'i is your niece, how come she doesn't call you Uncle Matt?" A boy asked.

"'Cause I'm only like 2 months older than her. It would be weird." Matt replied and Mar'i nodded in agreement.

"You have a lot of brothers and sisters, does it ever get crowded at your house." Another boy asked.

"No. We have a really big house and not everybody lives there anyway." Matt explained.

"Last question, for Matt." Mrs. Miller said and picked a girl in the front row.

"Who's your favorite? Of your siblings I mean." She asked.

Matt thought for a minute before answering. "I love all my siblings, even the annoying ones, but if I had to pick, I guess Alex."

"Why?" The girl asked before Mrs. Miller could stop her.

"Because she's the nicest." Matt replied.

"Thank you, Matt." Mrs. Miller said. "Good job."

Matt retook his seat next to Mar'i as Mrs. Miller called up the next student. Mar'i was more than his niece, she was his best friend and he knew talking about her family was hard for her. Usually she was brave and outgoing but when it came to her family she wasn't as confident.

Mar'i didn't know but Dick had pulled Matt aside the weekend before Mar'i started school.

"_Matty, can you do me a favor?" Dick had asked._

"_Sure, Dick." Matt had replied excited about helping his oldest brother._

"_Mar'i is going to be starting school on Monday. Can you show her the ropes? Look out for her? Be her friend?" Dick had asked._

"_You didn't hafta ask me to do that, Dick. I was gonna do it anyway. She's family." Matt had said with a shrug. _

"_Thanks, Matty. You're a good kid." Dick had said and ruffled his hair. _

When the bell rang Matt and Mar'i collected up their stuff and made their way toward the pick-up area where a member of their family was undoubtedly waiting to collect them and Terry. Alex and Damian were in high school and usually stayed after. Damian would drive the two of them home when he was done with fencing practice.

"Hey, Mar'i." Matt said slinging his arm around her shoulders above her backpack. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course." She smiled excited.

"I think we have the best family out of our whole class." He whispered loudly.

Mar'i looked at him for a second before her smile widened. "Me too!"

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	4. Playground

**Summary:** Helena talks about her family with her boyfriend Detective Jesse Reese (_Year 24_).

**AN:** This was originally much longer but I split it into 2 chapters. And yes, I'm taking Jesse from the BoP TV show. :p

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

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There was an unseasonal chill in the air and a dampness that made it go right to the bone. Light pollution made the night bright, but it did nothing to dispel the darkness that always lingered in Gotham. The lone pair occupying a swing set in Robinson Park didn't seem to notice the cold or the gloom as they sipped from disposable coffee cups and gently swayed back and forth.

"I'm having issues reconciling the heiress with Catwoman's daughter, the vigilante." Jesse said, breaking the silence.

Helena shrugged. "I'm not surprised."

The detective grabbed one of the chains stopping her movement. "So explain it to me." It was more than a suggestion but less than a demand.

Helena looked at her boyfriend, whom had recently learned her secret identity. All things considered, he had been very understanding.

Helena sighed.

"My parents had a thing before it was public knowledge she was Catwoman. She left the city right after she found out she was pregnant, never told my dad. She did the Catwoman thing as long as she could. Uncle Eddy helped out when she needed. I think he was the only person she really trusted."

"Uncle Eddy?" Jesse asked.

"Edward Nigma." Helena replied

"Riddler?"

Helena nodded.

Jesse shook his head in slight disbelief.

"Uncle Eddy found a letter from my mom after she was killed. She wanted me to have a better life than she did, so she asked him to turn me over to my father. So, Uncle Eddy made it happen."

"How old were you?" Jesse asked.

"Five." Helena replied, slightly hunching over her coffee cup in a rare show of vulnerability. "Dad had already adopted Dick 4 and he was 14. Plus, Dad had married and Mana was 6 months pregnant with Alex."

"Mana?" Jesse asked.

"My step-mother, she's Greek and Mana is Greek for Mom."

"That had to be rough." Jesse said softly.

"It had its moments. I remember when Alex was born, I was terrified they wouldn't want me anymore and Dick wouldn't love me because he had a new baby sister to replace me." Helena softly laughed. "Dad took me to the hospital the day after Alex was born and sat me on Mana's bed. She wrapped her arm around me and they showed me how to hold the baby. Mana smiled down at us and said, "Alexendria, this is your big sister, Helena. She's going to teach you all the fun things that only big sisters can. You're a very lucky girl to have a big sister as special as Helena." In that moment I knew everything was going to be okay. I never worried when they added to the family after that." Helena smiled.

"How many siblings do you have?" The detective asked.

"Eight. I'm exactly in the middle. Three brothers and a sister that are older, three brothers and a sister that are younger." Helena grinned.

"I can't even wrap my mind around having a family that big." Jesse admitted.

"You get used to it. We didn't have the little problems a lot of big families do because of our wealth. There was always plenty to go around. We didn't have to share bedrooms or fight over hot water. No one had to wear hand-me-downs and we all got to go to whatever college we wanted. The only things that were in short supply were time and privacy. Having our own rooms helped with the privacy but we still sometimes grated on each other's nerves, buy all siblings are like that at least sometimes. Dad and Mana always made an effort to be there for us too. Sometimes they had more luck than others. But at the end of the day, we all have each other."

"Sounds nice." Jesse mumbled forlornly, thinking about his rocky/nonexistent relationship with his own family.

There was a quiet pause while both were wrapped in their own thoughts.

"Next weekend is one of my niece's 6th birthday. We're having a party for her at the manor. It's going to be madness, kids running around everywhere, parents yelling, something valuable inevitably breaking. Why don't you come? It'll be fun." Helena suggested.

"I don't want to intrude on a family gathering." Jesse said surprised.

"Eh, don't worry about it. There's going to be like a zillion people there."

"A zillion?"

Helena shrugged. "My entire family, plus all the birthday girls' honorary aunts and uncles, plus all of their kids. Besides, maybe if I bring you to enough big events where you're just another face in the crowd, you can subtly integrate yourself into my family without having to go through the inquisition."

"Inquisition?" Jesse raised an eyebrow.

"My dad can be a little… intense." Helena replied. Jesse was aware her mother was Selina Kyle aka Catwoman and that her father was Bruce Wayne but he didn't yet know that her dad was also Batman.

"Okay. As long as you're sure it won't be an imposition." Jesse hesitantly agreed.

"Positive." Helena smiled.

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	5. Visit

**Summary:** Helena visits family. Takes place after Playground (_Year 24_).

**AN:** This was not the follow up chapter I started with so, I guess, call it a bonus.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

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"Hello, hello!" Helena called as she opened the door of her oldest brother's house.

"Hi, Aunt Lena." Mar'i said from the window seat near the door where she was curled up with a school copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.

"Hi, Sweetie. How's school?" Helena asked, relocking the door behind her and returning her key to her bag.

"It's okay." Mar'i shrugged.

"Hang in there, Sweetie." She said and Dick walked in the room.

"Hey, Sis. What brings you by?" He asked surprised to see her.

"I was in the neighborhood and I wanted to talk to you and your youngest." She replied.

"What's up?" He asked.

"I wanted to make sure it was okay to bring Reese on Saturday." She said.

Dick was a little startled by that but he quickly understood her thinking. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll let everyone know there's going to be a… cop there." Dick replied in case his youngest daughter was listening. It was an unwritten rule in the Wayne family that knowledge of their nocturnal habits was limited to those tall enough to ride most roller coasters.

"Thanks." Helena said. "Is Annie in her room?"

"Yeah, go on up." Dick said and returned to the kitchen.

Helena walked up the stairs and down the hall to Annabella's room. The door was open and the almost-6-year-old was sitting on her bed reading a Junie B. Jones book. With her red hair braided into pigtails and her feet clad in polka dot socks, she was adorable.

"Hey, Kiddo." Helena said standing in the doorway.

"Aunt Lena!" Annabella exclaimed, putting the book down, jumping off the bed and wrapping her arms around her Aunt. Annie let go and Helena crouched down so she was more at the girl's height.

"Can I ask you something?" Helena asked.

"Sure."

"Can I bring someone to your birthday party this weekend?"

"Who?"

"My boyfriend."

"Is he nice?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"You sure?"

"Yup."

"Thanks, Kiddo." Helena said and gently tugged on one of her pigtails.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Annie asked.

"Is your dad cooking?" Helena asked back.

Annie vigorously shook her head. "No, he's ordering pizza."

Helena smiled. "Sure, if it's ok with him."

"Let's go ask him!" Annie said pulling her aunt out of the room by the hand.

They got halfway down the hall and Annie stopped. "Wait right here." She said and ran back to her room. Helena heard her turn off the radio that had been playing and switch off the lights before running back. "Gotta save the planet." She said with a big grin and resumed pulling her aunt to the kitchen.

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	6. To-do List

**Summary:** Lois Lane makes a to-do list. (_Year 12_)

**AN:** See it's not all bat-people. Chris is based onLast Son (Action Comics) and Jason and Joanne are kind of OCs inspired by Superman Returns and Adventures of Superman 638, respectively. More about them in later stories.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

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Lois Lane was sitting at her desk in the home office she shared with her husband. As usual her desk was littered with paper and other whatnots while his remained clean and uncluttered. On top of the mess on her desk was a bright yellow extra-large sticky note. Lois had written her to-do list on it and was shaking her head at it in mild disbelief.

Clark had just settled the twins, Jason and Joanne, in their room after picking them up from his parents' farm and they were happily coloring at their little table. After finding his older son, Chris, enthralled in the pages of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on the couch in the living room, Clark went in search of Lois.

"Lois, Honey, what's the matter?" He asked worriedly when he found her a couple minutes later.

"Look at this list, will you?" She said handing him the piece of paper.

**To Do**  
Call Bruce  
Call Iris  
Pick-up dry-cleaning  
See Michael  
Finish corruption piece  
Clark dinner?

"So?" Clark said after looking at the list.

"Let me translate this for you." She said taking the list back. "Call Batman about extra red-sun watches for our adopted son so we can hide the fact he's an alien from the general public. Call Flash's wife about the birthday party our kids are going to this weekend halfway across the country. Pick-up dry-cleaning is self-explanatory. See Mr. Terrific about questions regarding the updated "In Case of Invasion" security protocols. Finish the government corruption story I've been writing at work. And ask husband to bring home dinner from India." Lois said.

"You want curry tonight?" Clark asked.

"Yes, but that's not the point." Lois huffed.

"Sorry?" Clark guessed.

"You really have no idea, do you?" Lois asked flummoxed.

"I guess not, no." Clark confessed.

"Clark, my life is _weird_." She replied honestly.

"And that's bad?" Clark was really starting to get worried about where this conversation was going.

"Well, no." Lois admitted.

"Then what's the problem?" Clark asked confused.

"There isn't one really. It was just a statement really. Think about it like this for a second." Lois tried. "I am married to an alien who can fly and whose three best friends are a slightly awkward newspaper photographer; a billionaire who dresses up like a bat and catches criminals at night; and the crown princess of a society of immortal feminist warriors. I have one son whose biological parents are alien criminals and was born in a creepy timeless pocket dimension. And twins that are half-human/half-Kryptonian hybrids whom will probably one day inherit most, if not all, of their father's superhuman abilities. I have half the Justice League on speed dial, trans-dimensional apocalypses are common dinner conversation, and "stopping an earthquake in the Philippines" is a completely reasonable answer when I ask my husband where he was when he was supposed to be picking the kids up from school."

Clark just stared at her a second.

"See, weird." Lois said turning back to her desk and booting up her laptop.

"But you're okay with weird, right Lois?" Clark asked after a moment.

Lois turned back to him and sighed.

"My husband is simultaneously the most powerful man in the world and the sweetest farm boy alive. Who, not only, regularly saves the world but also remembers our anniversary and is great in bed." Clark blushed. "Our children are smart, kind, and independent and we have a fantastic support system of friends and family who are loyal and understanding. I'd say we thrive on weird."

Clark could help the smile that eased its way onto his face.

"Now, go get dinner. I'm starved." Lois said returning to her laptop.

Clark leaned down to give her a quick kiss and it quickly deepened. Clark eventually pulled back and smiled at Lois' slightly dazed expression before flying off to India to pick-up dinner.

_Yeah,_ Lois thought a minute later, _life is weird, but_ _I wouldn't have it any other way._ And she licked her lips.

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	7. Gifts

**Summary:** Tim gets hurt and Alex gets her powers. (_Year 13_)

**AN:** I did some chapter rearranging the other day; I hope it didn't throw anybody.  
Please note, on Earth 128 Diana's gods look nothing like they do in the New 52. Also noteworthy, Diana's patrons are Demeter, Hermes, Athena, Aphrodite, and Artemis.  
This is slightly related to my one-shot _Olympian Blessings and Protective Fathers_. Alex would be the baby in that.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

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Alexandria crept out of bed and quietly snuck downstairs to the study. After a quick look over her shoulder she pulled one of the visitor chairs from in front of the desk over to the grandfather clock. She climbed up into it and opened the secret passageway to the batcave. She carefully pushed the chair to the side and snuck down another set of stairs.

She was wearing her favorite blue pajama pants and a light blue t-shirt but no socks, shoes, or slippers and the cave floor was cold under her feet. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she hid in a shadowy corner and looked around. She wasn't supposed to be down there. It was 2 am and she was supposed to be asleep upstairs, but something had drawn her down to the cave tonight.

The batmobile and several of the cycles were gone. Alfred was standing near the parking platform with a worried look on his face. Terry and Matt were asleep upstairs. Dick was tending to a situation with the Titans. Diana was on a League mission. Jason was being Jason. Barbara was running ops at Firewall. And Bruce, Tim, Cass, Helena and Damian were on patrol.

A roar suddenly filled the cave and the batmobile came to a screeching halt on the platform. Bruce leapt out of the car and rushed around to the to the passenger side. He carefully reached in and pulled out Tim, beaten bloody and barely alive. Alfred took one look at Tim and rushed to the medical area with Bruce only a few paces behind him. As soon as Tim's body touched the infirmary bed Alfred began treating his wounds as best he could. Dad helped remove clothing that was in the way and started an IV but Alex could tell from her hiding spot that it was bad.

Unbeknownst to Bruce and Alfred, Alex snuck up to the table. They had completely removed the top part of his uniform exposing two long gashes across his chest, four ugly puncture wounds in his side, miscellaneous other cuts and scraps, and a myriad of over lapping bruises. In addition, his overall color was alarmingly pale, there was a bruise forming on the side of his head and one of his arms rested at an unnatural angle. Alex carefully took Tim's hand and stifled a sob.

"Tim, you have to get better, Tim." She whispered so soft even she could barely hear it.

She momentarily closed her eyes to hold back the tears and when she opened them, she saw something different. It was like an energy field being emitted from Tim. A dull, dark red light that seemed to be radiating from Tim's very soul. And somehow she knew that it wasn't right. It was supposed to be brighter, more bell pepper, less cherry. So, for reasons beyond her, she squeezed her eyes shut and squeezed his hand with all of her strength and thought about the right color. She thought about the dull light lightening to the right shade, about it getting brighter and stronger. She put everything in her into the mental image and willing it to come true.

When she opened her eyes, Bruce and Alfred were staring at her and the previously erratic beeping from the heart rate monitor was steady and sure. She looked down at Tim and was surprised to see even the worst of the lacerations healed, the bruises almost entirely faded, his arm back in the correct position and the correct color back in his skin.

Bruce, of course, regained his voice first. "What did you do?"

"I don't know. I… I just wanted Tim to get better."

Before the conversation could go any farther, Tim groaned. They all stared, amazed as Tim cautiously opened his eyes. He looked from Bruce to Alfred to Alex to their still joined hands.

"You think you could let go, Sis? You've got quite the grip." His voice was hoarse but sure and it was the best thing she'd heard all night.

She loosened her grip but didn't let go. Tim smirked at her but didn't mention it again.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You got tossed around by Killer Croc." Bruce said.

"Master Bruce brought you back in the worst shape Master Timothy. Four broken ribs, punctured lungs, spleen, and kidney, internal bleeding and massive blood loss, numerous gashes, a myriad of bruises, a broken arm, and a severe concussion." Alfred added.

"So, how come I don't hurt more?" Tim asked in disbelief.

Bruce and Alfred looked at Alex but didn't say anything. Tim followed their gaze and quirked an eyebrow at her in question. She simply shrugged her shoulders and yawned.

The noise in the cave grew, the quiet roar of Dick landing the batplane, Helena's footsteps running for the med bay while Damian parked Tim's R-cycle, the splashy arrival of the batboat, and the hum of the transporter filled the cavern and suddenly half the family was there. It wasn't long before they were all staring at the scene in confusion.

"I thought Tim was dying or something." Dick said breaking the heavy silence that had descended.

"Indeed, Master Timothy was gravely injured on patrol tonight." Alfred answered.

"He looks okay to me." Dick replied.

"It would appear that Miss Alex has… healed him." Alfred said.

And all eyes settled on the 7-year-old.

Diana was the one to finally say out loud what everyone was thinking. "How?"

In a brilliant flash of light, a glowing figure appeared from nowhere. It was human in shape but too bright to look at for long without hurting your eyes.

Diana quickly bowed.

"Lord Apollo!" She said on a breath, utterly surprised.

"Rise Diana." He smiled and the intensity of the light increased. "I have come to answer your question."

The tension in the room increased.

"As you are aware, when Alexandria was born, she was blessed by her own pantheon of patron gods and goddesses." Apollo started. "At that time, it was decided that those blessings would lay dormant until she was ready. Until her inner strength was strong enough to call them forth on her own. In addition, none would interfere in her development until her blessings manifested. Her blessings are diverse in both in nature and power. Each a rare treasure to be nurtured and honed. Now that they have come forth she will be visited occasionally by each of her patrons for guidance but most of her training will fall to you, her family. You must teach her to be brave, to be strong, and to be kind."

"What are her gifts?" Bruce asked, sensing he was done.

"I have blessed her with the ability to heal others. In addition, she also has the favor of Athena, Hephaestus, Hermes and Hestia. We have great faith in this child. She will do great things." And he was gone.

"Which one is Hestia again?" Stephanie asked.

"She is the goddess of hearth and home." Diana simplified.

"So she's like the goddess of home ec?"

"In a way." Diana _very_ reluctantly admitted.

"So does that mean one of her powers is going to be like super-cooking?" Stephanie asked.

"Oh my god," Dick said. "Don't tell Wally."

Everyone laughed.

"Or Bart." Tim added and everyone laughed harder.

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Special thanks to _The Goddamn Dark Knight_ who is my most frequent reviewer. Also thanks to 1Superman4Me and Guest(s) for being my only other reviewers. What's it going to take to get more of you to review? PLEASE!

Open Question: Tim/Tam or Tim/Wonder Girl?


	8. Godfather

**Summary:** Bruce and Diana have a question for Clark (_Year 6_).

**AN: **This starts 6 months before _Olympian Blessings and Protective Fathers. _Also I'm thinking about moving this story to crossovers because it's so much batfam. Just a heads up if you're regularly reading but not following.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

It was the second Saturday in June and even at 10 am it was sweltering. It was a turning out to be a killer summer. Diana spotted a familiar blue and red figure in the clear sky and went out to the north terrace to greet him.

"Kal!"

"Diana, how are you?" Clark asked giving her a brief friendly hug.

"Good." Diana replied. "How are you?"

"Great." Clark grinned.

"I heard your piece on Senator Raines was nominated for a Kerth, congratulations."

"Thanks." Clark almost blushed.

"Let's go in to the kitchen. Alfred made chocolate chip cookies."

Clark's smile widened and the two most powerful people in the world went in search of Alfred's cookies.

Bruce was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper but no cookie.

"Hey, Bruce." Clark said in greeting.

"Clark." Bruce nodded.

"How've you been?"

"Busy."

"Yeah, I heard there was a Arkham escape earlier this week."

Bruce nodded. "Riddler."

"How's that going?"

"He's back in Arkham as of last night."

"That's good." Clark said, taking a bite of his cookie. "These cookies are amazing, Alfred."

"Thank you, Master Kent. I am glad they are to your liking." Alfred said from his station at the counter where he was cutting vegetables for lunch.

"So, what's this about?" Clark asked the couple. "It's not like you two to invite me over just for cookies."

Diana looked at Bruce nervously. Bruce nodded.

"We wanted to tell you in person." Diana started.

"What?" Clark questioned

"I'm pregnant." Diana replied.

"Oh my gosh. That's wonderful." Clark exclaimed, jumping up to hug both of them, much to Bruce's dismay. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Diana smiled and Bruce nodded again.

"When are you due?" Clark asked retaking his seat.

"Not for six months." Diana said, placing a hand on her stomach. "We were hoping you'd agree to be her or his godfather."

Clark looked stunned. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't we be?" Diana asked. "You are one of both of our closest friends, whether or not Bruce will admit to it." Bruce huffed. "We can think of no one better to be our child's godfather."

"Uh wow. I mean yeah." The Kryptonian took a deep breath. "I would love to." Clark beamed.

"Wonderful!" Diana said and Bruce nodded in thanks.

"Just out of curiosity, who did you ask to be godmother? One of your Amazon sisters?"

"No, one of Bruce's old friends, Zatanna Zatara." Diana replied

"The sorceress?" Clark asked surprised.

"Yes! Have you met her?" Diana asked.

"No, I only know her by reputation. She's quite well respected in her field." Clark recalled Dr. Fate mentioning her. "How do you know her?"

Bruce hesitated for a moment before answering. "Her father was a friend of my parents. Later, he trained me in escapology. You could say we grew up together."

Clark nodded I understanding.

* * *

For once, Clark walked down the halls of a hospital for something good. He stopped at the door outside the maternity ward and rang the bell.

"Can I help you?" A nurse asked grumpily.

"I'm here to see the Waynes." He replied.

"Name?"

"Clark Kent, I'm a family friend."

"I don't care if you're the Pope. If you're not on the list, you don't get in." She said sourly.

"Am I on the list?" Clark asked slightly worried after a moment of silence.

"Yes." She replied and the door buzzed open.

"Last room on the right." She said from behind the desk when he came through the door

"Thanks." Clark said and started down the hall. He paused for a second catching the nurse's attention. "Just out of curiosity, _is_ the Pope on the list?" He asked her.

She actually cracked a smile. "No."

Clark stifled a chuckle.

Clark stood just outside the door and peered inside. Diana looked a little tired but just as beautiful as she always did. Bruce was sitting in a chair close to the bed holding a small bundle, smiling down on it. Clark grinned at the sight and quietly entered the room. Being who they were, they instantly knew he was there.

"Hi, Clark." Diana said softly.

"Hi, guys. How are you feeling, Diana?" Clark asked sincerely.

"Ok. I'll be good as new in no time. You know me." She said alluding to her enhanced healing ability.

"I'm glad." He said earnestly before his gaze wondered to the infant.

"I suppose you want to hold your goddaughter." Bruce said noticing Clark's gaze was now fixed on the pink swathed child his arms.

"Can I?" Clark asked with a goofy grin on his face.

"Of course." Diana replied.

Bruce very carefully got up and nodded for Clark to take his place in the chair. When the Kryptonian was safely seated Bruce gently placed his daughter in his arms. "Be careful." Bruce told his best friend unnecessarily.

"She's so tiny." Clark whispered after a moment

"She's a newborn, Kent." Bruce replied, keeping a close eye on his not quite day old daughter.

Diana rolled her eyes but their bickering did nothing to disturb her serene contentment.

"Have you picked a name?" Clark asked gently.

Bruce and Diana's eyes met and they shared a moment of tenderness usually well hidden from others.

"Alexandria." Diana replied warmly.

"It means defender of man." Bruce added.

"Alexandria," Clark tested the name, "I like it."

"Dick and Helena have already decided their going to call her Alex for short." Diana replied smiling, clearly happy the rest of the family had been so accepting of the newest addition.

"And Alfred?" Clark asked.

"Alfred has decided that abbreviating "such a beautiful name" is sacrilege." Diana said smiling. "I suspect he'll come around eventually though."

Bruce took a seat on the edge of Diana's bed and the three best friends talked quietly for a while before Clark returned Alex to her father.

"Has Zatanna been by yet?" Clark asked competitively after trading places with Bruce.

"No. She called and said she be by this afternoon before her show." Diana replied detecting the friendly rivalry that was growing between them.

Clark grinned and Bruce shook his head.

* * *

Thank you for all the reviews! Especially mbembet, who reviewed every chapter. PLEASE continue to review.

I'd love some character requests. Who do you want to see more of?


	9. Fabulous

**Summary:** Alex spends the day with her godmother. (Year 12)

**AN:** I was shocked at the number of Zatanna requests I got. Unfortunately, she wasn't one of the 3 or 4 characters I had a chapter in the works for. Sorry for the long delay. Oh and try to remember Alex is a genius also blessed with the wisdom of Athena if you think she's acting too mature for her age. BTW If you're curious _36 Crazy Fashion and Runway Trends _on urlesque.

**FYI:** I will not be killing off Damian. Hope that's okay with everyone.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics. [If they belonged to me YJ would not have been cancelled and the comics wouldn't mostly suck right now]

* * *

Zatanna Zatara didn't have any children of her own but she did have an adorable five-year-old goddaughter, Alexandria. Zatanna and Alex's godfather, Clark Kent, once had a friendly rivalry over who was the better godparent but that had slowly been disappearing since his twins were born three years ago. For Alex, time with her godfather now meant an afternoon with "the Kents", not that Alex minded, she was good friends with Jason and Jo Kent, even with the age difference. However, time with her godmother was still something special and all her own.

* * *

The birds were chirping and the sun was shining as Zatanna knocked on the backdoor of Wayne Manor after, literally, popping in.

"Good morning, Miss Zatanna." Alfred greeted as he opened the door.

"Morning, Alfred." She replied stepping into the kitchen of the Manor.

"Aunt Zee!" Alexandria squealed and jumped out her chair at the kitchen table.

"Hey, Moonbeam." Zatanna said, scooping up the kindergartener in a hug.

"Good Morning, Zatanna." A very pregnant Diana said from the table.

"Morning, Diana." The magician replied motioning for her to remain seated as best she could with her arms still full of five-year-old.

Diana nodded gratefully.

"Zanna." Bruce solemnly nodded from behind his lowered newspaper.

"Bruce." Zatanna lowered her voice, teasing her friend and causing his daughter to giggle.

Bruce successfully smothered his sigh.

Zatanna grinned and looked down at her goddaughter. "You ready to go, Moonbeam?"

"Almost." She chirped with a whole body wiggle that made Zatanna put her back on the ground.

"Are you done with your breakfast?" Diana asked looking meaningfully at her daughter.

Alex looked at her plate for a minute before taking one last grape off it and shoving it in her mouth. "I am now." She proclaimed, the grape causing a huge bump in her left cheek.

"A young lady should not speak with food in her mouth." Alfred gently chastised.

Alex quickly ate the grape and said "Sorry Alfred."

A lifetime of English propriety wouldn't allow the aged butler to roll his eyes like he wanted so he simply nodded with minor satisfaction.

"Alright, go put on your shoes." Diana said and Alex scampered off.

Without the presence of little ears in the kitchen, Bruce felt free to unnecessarily go over every rule even remotely related to protecting his daughter. Diana gave him an exasperated look but the magician suffered in silence with only a small smirk on her lips to give away her amusement at the overprotective father Bruce had become.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Alfred was dropping off Zatanna and Alex downtown in front of Wayne Towers, a nice central location in the city. Zatanna took Alex's little hand in hers as Alfred pulled away and the little girl leaned back to look up at the skyscraper.

"My daddy works in this building." She said to Zatanna.

"I know." Zatanna replied, wondering where she was going with this.

"He says that it's an important piece of our family history." She continued.

"Uh huh." Zatanna said looking down at her.

"But that me and my brothers and sisters are our family's future and that makes us more important." She finished.

"When did he tell you this?" Zatanna asked, the surprise obvious in her voice.

"He says it all the time." Alex sighed. "I still think it's scary." She mumbled.

Zatanna tried to look at the iconic neo-gothic building from the perspective of a child, one who knew her life would forever be tied to both the physical building and everything it represented, and had to agree with her. "You're right, it is kind of scary."

Alex's eye widened in surprise that her godmother was agreeing with her.

"Come on, Moonbeam. The day is young as so are you." Zatanna joked with a large grin.

Alex nodded and the pair began walking down the street.

Zatanna regaled the little girl with stories from the magic shows she had recently put on in Spain until they were in front of the public library. Their first stop of the day was always story time at the library. It was something they only did together.

They silently went up the stairs leading to the main entrance of the imposing building and Zatanna held open the heavy door for Alex. The muffled quiet of the library replaced the noise of the busy city street as the door closed behind them and they headed straight up to the children's section on the third floor. They had arrived a few minutes early for story time, giving Alex enough time to get a good seat up front before the librarian began reading the book for the day, Fox in Socks.

Alex and the other children were quickly lost in Dr. Seuss' rhyming world and the adults happily faded into childhood memories and nostalgia. When the story was through the children and parents gave the librarian a quiet round of applause as they all fell back into the reality of the here and now. And while many others stayed to checkout books, Alex and Zatanna left the library and continued down the street towards the park.

It was now Alex's turn to regale the other with stories of recent events, tales of life from the point of view of a five-year-old. She told Zatanna, with almost uncontainable excitement, about an afternoon spent in the garage with her father while he worked on one of his cars. Zatanna could practically see the energetic girl in brightly colored overalls bent over to look under the car at Bruce with her dark ponytail dragging on the ground or happily skipping back and forth from the toolbox to Bruce bringing him the wrong tools and him trying to explain what he needed. She told Zatanna about her thrilling victory over her bicycle, riding it without training wheels for the first time in the long driveway of the Manor, under the watchful eye of her oldest brother, Dick, who had been home last weekend from college.

By now the street had changed from offices and civic buildings to a stretch of expensive boutiques. The pair continued their walk towards the park, only now stopping in front of each boutique they passed to look in the window at the display.

"Look at this one, Aunt Zee." Alex exclaimed pointing to one of the manikins in the window. "The skirt looks like a big slinky."

"Yeah or an exploded CD case." Zatanna said tilting her head.

Alex looked back in the window and made a face like someone told her she had just eaten a bug.

Zatanna laughed. "Come on."

"This looks like a spy coat!" Alex said in front of the next store display of trench coats.

"Very chic." Zatanna smiled at the girl's point of view.

"Hey, look at this one." Zatanna said a few windows later. "It looks like ropes."

"That's even weirder than the slinky skirt!" Alex exclaimed and they both laughed.

"I don't get it." Alex said a few windows later.

"What, Moonbeam?" Zatanna asked.

"There have been whole bunch of dresses, like five," she exclaimed holding up the right number of digits, "that the front is almost see-through." She looked aghast at her godmother. "Don't they know the whole point of clothes it to cover up stuff?"

"I guess they think it is covered up." Zatanna tried to explain.

"Well yeah but you can still see it." Alex waved her arm toward the manikin in the window. "It's just icky."

Zatanna smiled and they moved on down the street.

"Hey, I've been here." Alex said a few stores later.

"Yeah?" Zatanna asked.

"Uh huh, with my mom." Alex said. "They sell bags, little sparkly ones, mom uses them when her and daddy get all dressed up and go out."

"So no rope dresses there huh?" Zatanna joked.

"Nope, it's safe." Alex grinned.

The kindergarten heiress' honest critic of haute couture continued through the rest of the Fashion District until the crossed over into the Upper Eastside and its more normal spread of retail stores and small restaurants. On a whim they wandered into a dollar store where they found a rack of cheap sunglasses.

"How about these?" Zatanna asked after putting on a pair so large they covered half forehead and her cheeks.

"They make you look like Mrs. Vreeland when she's in the paper." Alex giggled.

"I'll take that as a no." Zatanna laughed, knowing that Alex was referring to the paparazzi photos of hung-over Veronica Vreeland that frequently graced the cover of the tabloids.

"How about these for you?" Zatanna asked holding up a pair of much smaller wraparound shades with a highly reflective coating.

Alex slipped them on and Zatanna held her up to the fuzzy mirror built into the spinning plastic rack.

"I look like a space cadet." Alex giggled taking them off.

"Do you even know what a space cadet is?" Zatanna asked.

Alex thought for a minute. "Not really." She shrugged unworried.

"How 'bout these, Aunt Zee?" She asked holding up a pair of black cat eye sunglasses with rhinestones decorating the exaggerated corners.

Zatanna slipped them on and asked, "How do I look, darling?" with the appropriate accent to complete the joke.

"Fabulous." Alex joked back.

They actually weren't bad, in a completely ridiculous, girls just wanna have fun, kind of way.

"What do you think, Moonbeam?" Zatanna asked holding up a pair of equally ridiculous red heart shaped sunglasses.

Alex put them on and Zatanna held her up to the mirror again.

"I kinda like them." Alex giggled.

Zatanna paid for the ridiculous sunglasses, a whopping seven dollars, and when the pimply-faced cashier asked if she wanted as bag she replied "No, we'll wear them out, darling" in the same accent as before, causing Alex to giggle uncontrollably. When the door swung closed behind them the cashier was still scratching his head.

"You hungry, Moonbeam?" Zatanna asked outside the dollar store.

"Starving." Alex replied.

"What do you want for lunch?" The magician asked, looking down at her.

"Pizza!" She exclaimed.

Zatanna laughed at her excitement over junk food knowing Alfred would be disgusted and headed toward one of her favorite little pizzerias less than a block away.

They each got a piece of pizza, which Alex observed was bigger than her head, and a drink and walked across the street to have a makeshift picnic in the park. When the greasy treat was consumed and the trash thrown away, the duo laid down in the grass to gaze up at the clouds.

They laid there for over an hour pointing out shapes in the sky to each other. A world of dinosaurs and bunnies, rocket ships and tugboats, top hats and candy canes floated above them and all seriousness was lost in the whimsy of the activity.

All too soon it was time to go. They brushed the grass off each other and started toward where they planned to meet Alfred for the trip back to the Manor. The walk took them through a good bit of the park and they briefly stopped for ice cream to eat on their way to the car. They beat Alfred to the meeting place by a couple of minutes but only because they were early. Zatanna did a quick check of Alex's face when she spotted the car on the approach to make sure all evidence of the ice cream was gone.

Alfred eyed Zatanna suspiciously through the rearview mirror when the sugar rush from the ice cream fully kicked in only a few minutes after he picked them up. Zatanna did her best to look oblivious and innocent for the length of the drive.

Once they were back at Wayne Manor Alex rushed into the house. She couldn't wait to tell her parents, and any of her siblings that would listen, about her day with her godmother. Zatanna couldn't help but smile as she trailed after her at a much more sedate pace.

When Zatanna reached the den Alex was sitting on her father's lap telling him about the rope dress. Jason and Cassandra were sitting nearby smirking, whatever they had been doing interrupted by their little sister. Jason's eyes flicked between the sunglasses Zatanna had pushed into her hair when she had come inside and the sunglasses still perched on Alex's nose.

"Love the shades." Jason teased the older woman.

"They're Fabulous!" Alex exclaimed from her father's lap with an ear-to-ear grin.

* * *

**Virtual cupcakes for everyone who reviews! **Who do you want to see? You can be general or specific but no guarantees.

I wanted to throw out one more piece of information in the ongoing Tim pairing debate.  
Tim/Cassie will also result in SuperMartian (Conner/M'gann)  
Tim/Tam will also result in Cassie/Conner

One more question (that will probably have no affect on this story)  
Oliver/Dinah or Oliver/Chloe


	10. Vigil

**Summary:** Alex is injured. (Year 25)

**AN: **More Alex was requested by one of my awesome reviewers. And this only needed some editing to put it in Earth-128 so here you go. Kind of.

The winner of the Tim debate is Tam. Apologies to everyone rooting for Cassie; in this universe she will be paired with Conner Kent. Tim/Tam will be mentioned in this chapter. Oh and remember both Helena Wayne and Bertinelli exist in this universe, I hope there won't be any confusion.

**FYI:** Cassie is Sandsmark and Cass is Cain.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

If anyone ever doubted the Batman's humanity they need only look in the medical bay of the Watchtower this night. Batman stands ashen face leaning heavily onto the back of the chair Wonder Woman is sitting in at the bedside of their youngest daughter. Robin was currently sitting on the other side of Alex's bed while the rest of the Bat Family were gathered outside the door trying to draw strength from each other.

There were no chairs or waiting room so they carried out their vigil sitting on the corridor floor and leaning against the wall. The discomfort from the cold hard metal was lost in their concern.

"I had almost forgotten how much this sucks." Tim said quietly to the group.

Dick looked at him like he didn't believe him.

"I said almost." Tim replied looking down.

Damian was trying to put on an impassive face but he wasn't the little monster he had been eleven years ago. Alex was only two years younger than him and as much as he had fought it she had wormed her way into his heart a long time ago. She was the first person he had considered family after their father. His girlfriend Nell, aka Batgirl, was sitting beside him squeezing his hand tightly. Not only for his comfort but also her own. They sat in silence, drawing strength from the proximity of the other and their tightly clasped hands.

Barbara and Mar'i had come up as soon as they had heard and were now sitting one on each side of Dick, his arms wrapped around both of them. Annie was too young to come up, only recently even aware of her family's nighttime activities, so she was at the Manor under the watchful eye of a concerned grandfatherly butler.

Jason sat a few feet down from Dick and his family. He was staring up at the ceiling, trying to keep composure, and his right arm was wrapped around Stephanie's shoulders holding her close. She was leaning heavily on her husband but the tears had finally stopped falling under her mask and she had mostly stopped shaking. Their children, were also back at the Manor under Alfred's care, though both of them were too young to know what was going on.

Cass was sitting directly opposite the door to her sister's room flanked by her brothers Terry and Tim. Terry was a wreck, which was most obvious from his hair which was a mess from the teen running his hand through it so many times. Tim calm façade was betrayed by the fact he kept sighing every few minutes but Cass was a rock. Her eyes completely focused on the door in front of her, her body totally still except for imperceptible rise and fall of her chest. Tim had called his wife a little bit ago to let her know what was going on. Tam and Alfred were going to have come up with something good to explain the entire family's disappearance if they were still there come morning but Tim had faith in them.

Helena was sitting near Terry but by herself, her arms wrapped around her knees. The tough as nails smart aleck gone with the adrenaline leaving behind the vulnerable young woman afraid of losing another member of her family to violence. She wasn't mentally absent or even trembling, she was still in control, silently drawn in to herself but aware of everything around her.

"Here come Donna and Cassie." Dick said when he heard approaching running.

Sure enough a moment later the Wonder girls rounded the nearby corner in the hallway.

"What the hell happened?" Donna demanded coming to stand in the middle of the group, her focus on Dick but the question open to everyone.

"She was ambushed." Terry said.

"None of us were close enough." Cass added.

"If Robin hadn't gotten there when he did…" Tim trailed off.

"And the attackers?" Donna asked.

"Gordon has them." Damian said darkly.

"Can we go in?" Cassie asked hopefully.

"The room only holds three and even then one has to leave if the doctor comes by." Tim said.

"If you can convince Robin to trade with you, you can go in one at a time." Dick said. "But he's taking this hardest. The rest of us remember what it was like before Alex got her powers. He's never gone through this before."

Cassie cautiously opened the door. Diana and Matt turned to see who it was; Bruce never took his eyes off of Alex. Cassie nodded to Diana and silently gestured to Matt she just wanted five minutes. He reluctantly nodded, gave his sister's hand one last squeeze and silently left the room.

As Matt was closing the door behind him, Huntress and Question were coming around the same corner Cassie and Donna had earlier. They were both carrying a stack of Styrofoam cups and a pot of coffee.

"We contacted the Teen Titans, they all wanted to come but we told them to stay put. Query refused so she's on their way but everyone else reluctantly agreed to stay at the tower unless she gets worse." Huntress said.

Helena began distributing cups of coffee to everyone, taking her husband's pot when hers ran out, allowing Vic to pull a bag of sugar packets and a container of non-dairy creamer out of one of the pockets in his blue trench coat. Donna and Dick made up cups for Diana and Bruce and Donna took them in to them when she traded places with Cassie a few minutes later.

Ten minutes later the group heard more footsteps headed their way.

"Three?" Damian said puzzled by the number of people approaching.

"What do you wanna bet one is Supes?" Tim said.

Sure enough less than a minute later Superman and two others rounded the corner. As expected, one was Alex's best friend, Isabella Bertinelli-Sage aka Query. The last one wasn't really a surprise either. It was Alex's godmother, Zatanna.

"What happened?" Supes demanded.

"She was ambushed." Dick replied this time.

"Who?" Query demanded darkly.

"Black Mask." Stephanie said hoarsely. She knew the man behind the mask was not the same one that had nearly beaten her to death years before but it had still shaken her badly.

"A group of his thugs to be more specific." Jason clarified pulling his wife tighter.

"I take it, by the fact that you're all sitting here, he's been dealt with?" Superman theorized.

"Both Black Mask and his crew are in police custody." Barbara confirmed.

The new comers took turns going in to see Alex and then poured themselves cups of coffee, finishing off the second pot, before joining the vigil in the corridor. Clark and Zatanna took up sentry positions at the far end of the group and Query found solace between her parents, Huntress and Question. Robin returned to his older sister's bedside. Silence fell on the group for a while, only interrupted by and occasional communication from one group or another asking for an update on Alex's condition.

As time silently passed, dawn arrived in Gotham and with it a reprieve for the vigilantes still patrolling there in the absence of the entire BatFam. Relieved of their responsibilities for the day, the remaining Birds of Prey arrived to join the vigil. By then Mar'i had fallen asleep on her father's shoulder and Huntress had covered Query in her cape after she had succumb to exhaustion. The stillness was unnatural and alarming.

Superman's head suddenly snapped to the door of Alex's room, his super-hearing picked up a change in the sounds from the room. Numerous heads rose to expectantly stare at the Man of Steel but he remained still, staring at the door. Tension began to ease out of the Clark but no one seemed to notice because there were suddenly muffled noises coming from inside the room.

Suddenly there was a high-pitched beep and everyone instantaneously moved to make a path in the corridor for the doctor and nurse that were hurrying their way. The doctor quickly kicked Matt out of Alex's room and moved next to his patient. The door was left slightly ajar by the nurse allowing the large group in the hall to see the flurry of movement in the room but not what was going on.

After several tense moments the nurse came back out. Her eyes flicked around the group and settled on Dick. "She's conscience and actively fighting the tube so were going to remove it. She won't be kicking butt anytime soon but she's out of the woods." She could feel the tension dissipate throughout the group.

"Can we see her?" Superman asked.

The nurse _really_ didn't want to tell _him_ no but she didn't want to over tax her patient either. She was saved from answering by the doctor arriving behind her.

"Normally we'd say no after such a traumatic incident, especially given the number of you, but she wants to put all your minds to ease. So, one or two at a time, no more than a couple of minutes each."

"Thanks, Doc." Superman said.

They started with Matt and Terry and slowly moved through the group until they ended with Damian and Nell. After Alex had assured the last of her brothers that she would be okay and they had all seen the amazing progress she had made in the night they all disbursed, promising to visit her again when she was safely settled at the Manor in a few days. Alone with her parents again Alex spoke.

"It was Apollo." She said. "He said the ability to heal myself hadn't been triggered before now because I had never been severely enough injured."

Diana nodded in understanding but Bruce just scowled.

"Once the gift was active I had to figure out how to work it. Sorry it took so long." Alex said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Diana said. "We're just happy you are going to be okay."

"I'll be fine." Alex says. "Why don't you guys go home and get some sleep."

Diana kissed her forehead and stood so Bruce could say goodbye too.

"I'm going to stay awhile." Bruce said.

Diana and Alex took one look at his face and didn't even bother to argue.

Diana solidly kissed her husband and waved to them both as she left the room.

Bruce took Diana's seat and settled in for the long haul.

"I'm going to be okay, Daddy." Alex told him.

"I know, Sweetheart." Bruce said softly. "Get some rest."

Four hours later Flash peaked into the room to see how Alex was doing and found her awake scribbling on a pad of paper, Bruce fast asleep in the chair.

* * *

Okay peeps, I know over 100 people read last chapter. Did you not like it? **PLEASE review!** Virtual candy for reviewers!

Also, based on popular demand, this story will remain Oliver/Dinah.


	11. Picture of Family: Damian

**Summary: **Damian learns a valuable lesson from his little sister. (Year 13)

**AN: **A chapter featuring Damian and Alex's brother-sister relationship was requested so here you go. I hope it's ok, I just turned it out tonight. It's another short one.

**Disclaimer: **The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

Diana was sitting in the library reading when she suddenly heard yelling. She quickly put down her book and went in search of the commotion. It didn't take her long to find a large portion of her family standing in one of the hallways. Surprisingly, in the middle of the disturbance wasn't Jason, who had become extremely argumentative lately. No, it was Alexandria of all people. The normally cheerful 7-year-old was standing in the middle of the hallway practically vibrating in anger. She had a beet red face and was glaring daggers at Damian, who stood opposite her. Damian looked as undisturbed as ever, his arms folded in front of him, his gaze dark as always.

"You listen to me, twip." Alex screamed. "I don't care who you think you are, you will not treat my brother like that."

"Tt. Drake is hardly your brother." Damian replied calmly. "He is inferior."

"Ahhh! You think having Dad's blood makes you better than the rest of us? Newsflash, twip, it doesn't! And even if it did, I have it too! And so do Helena and Terry and Matt!" Alex was waving her arms in frustration.

Jason and Tim both stood behind her watching the spectacle with interest but didn't dare to interrupt. Helena was behind Damian smirking at the back of his head.

"Tt. I will be the one to inherit Father's empire." Damian declared.

"Why? You're not the oldest. Legally that's Dick."

"Grayson is * scoff * adopted."

"You're not Dad's oldest biological child either! That's Helena!"

"Tt. The daughter of a common thief."

Helena prickled at that but Jason motioned for her to stay out of it.

"You're illegitimate too!" Alex exclaimed. "In fact, _I _am the oldest legitimate biologic child."

"But you're a female." Damian replied desperately.

"That doesn't mean anything and you know it! And even if it did, then Terry is the oldest male legitimate biologic heir."

Damian was silent.

"So get off your stupid high horse and get real twip!"

At this point Diana broke in. "Don't call your brother a twip, Alexandria."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you heard what he said to Tim." Alex mumbled.

Diana pretended she didn't hear that. "Now, what started this?"

No one said anything.

"Well?" She said, falling into her classic Wonder Woman pose with her hands on her hips.

"Alex took offense at something Damian said to me." Tim answered. "She took it upon herself to… defend my honor, I guess."

"Is this true?" Diana asked the group.

Several heads nodded.

Diana sighed. "Alex you know better than to raise your voice in anger."

"At least I didn't hit him." Alex mumbled.

Jason smirked.

"Like you could." Damian mumbled back.

Alex tensed and drew closer to Damian. He was at least 3 inches taller than her, 2 years older and 15 ponds heavier but she wasn't intimidated in the least.

"Whoah! That's enough of that. Both of you go to your rooms until further notice." Diana said sternly, a hand holding her daughter back by the shoulder.

* * *

Later that night, after lectures had been given and punishments had been doled out, Alex was sitting on her bed reading Tuck Everlasting, when there was a short knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in." She said without getting up.

Damian pushed the door open and came to stand at the foot of her bed.

Alex looked up in surprise. "What do you want, Dami?"

"I came to apologize." Damian said uncomfortably.

"What?" Alex said shocked.

"Whether I am comfortable with it or not, you are my sister. And as your older brother I should behave more agreeably toward you." Damian sighed. "I will try to refrain from making comments about Drake and the others that you find offensive while in your presence."

Alex took that in for a minute. He didn't admit to being wrong. He didn't promise to be nice to their siblings. He didn't even entirely promise he was going to be nice to her. But… "It's a start." She said extending her hand for him to shake.

And for the first time in the year and a half they had known each other, Damian accepted the hand and the olive branch.

* * *

**PLEASE review!** I take requests (without guarantees), I take constructive criticism, I take simple notes that you like it, I even take questions. I even try to ask questions to inspire people to send me answers, like the one below.

Does anyone have a favorite pairing for Cassandra Cain that isn't Superboy or Tim or Stephanie?


	12. Talk

**Summary:** Jim and Batman talk. (Year 9)

**AN:** This popped into my head while I was brainstorming. Some swearing. Super short.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

The night was chilly and there was a breeze on the roof where Jim Gordon stood alone beside the lit batsignal. A case file lay on the raised edge of the roof, an empty Starbucks cup blown over next to it. The Commissioner has his hands in his pockets and his eye on the surrounding rooftops. It doesn't do him any good though because the Bat steps out from a shadow a moment later and startles the crap out of him.

"I think you like doing that." The Commissioner says by way of greeting.

The Bat's lips imperceptibly twitch.

"Before we get to that," Gordon says nodding to the case file, "I've been hearing rumors."

Batman tilts his head ever so slightly.

"A new vigilante in town. Are they true?"

"Yes."

Commissioner Gordon raises an eyebrow indicating he needed more information.

"Robin." Batman replies.

"I'm not talking about Robin. The kid's been around for years. This is someone new. Black and blue costume likes eskrima sticks."

"Nightwing." Batman replies.

"So you do know him." Gordon nods.

"So do you. He was Robin." Batman replies.

Jim gives him a look that says, _why are you making my life more difficult? I have enough shit to deal with._

"There is a new Robin. The old Robin is now Nightwing." Batman replies.

"Another kid?" Jim asks alarmed.

Batman just stares at him. He knew most people just didn't get it. They looked at sidekicks as never saw past "child endangerment". He knew Jim was smarter than that.

"This isn't going to become a trend is it?" Gordon sighs.

"He needs it." Batman says, his voice losing some of its gravel.

The Commissioner knew for all the Bat's mysterious-asskicking-avenging-detective-ness he was also the Caped Crusader. And the Crusade wasn't to rid the city of villainy it was to bring a better, brighter day to Gotham. And sometimes that meant things like Robin.

Gordon nods.

Batman nods.

"Okay, so there have been a serious of murders in the Narrows with something interesting connecting them. I thought you might want to have a look." Gordon says picking up the case file and they were back to their regularly scheduled program.

* * *

REVIEW! PLEASE!

It's totally not intentional but I've noticed the more reviews I get the longer the chapters are. And these recently frequent updates are all because of my loyal reviewers mbembet, The Goddamn Dark Knight, 1Superman4Me and I think a recurring guest (who I would love to reply to so sign-in).


	13. Double Date

**Summary:** Lois is introduced to Bruce and Diana when they go on a double date with Lois and Clark. (Year 5)

**AN:** Inspired by the _Lois and Clark_ episode with Bob and Carol. Bits of the Trinity story by Matt Wagner. BTW I think this is the longest chapter so far. :)

Thank you Guest for requesting this chapter, it gave me the push to continue it and mbembet for pushing me to finish it. I REALLY hope it doesn't disappoint.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

Clark was sitting at his desk at the Daily Planet, today's paper open to the business section in front of him. The headline read "WE Purchases 5 GBS Properties". The article was really no more than a glorified press release and didn't even say which five properties Wayne Entertainment, a division of Wayne Enterprises, was buying. Clark picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a familiar number.

A deep voice answered the phone. "No."

"How do you know what I was going to ask? You didn't even say hello!" Clark said.

"You called from work at a time you know I'm dealing with Wayne Enterprises business the day after we announced we're buying out part of the _Daily Planet_'s parent company. It wasn't a stretch."

"Can you give me anything?" Clark asked.

There was a long pause before the reply. "Not right now. Call back after five."

Clark could help but grin; it wasn't a no. "Great. So, how have you been?"

Clark's question was met with silence.

"Let me guess, you've already exceeded your daily word allowance?" Clark joked.

"I'm saving up for our conversation later." Bruce replied and hung up.

Clark laughed and placed the handset back on the receiver. Clark looked over at his wife's desk in time to see her hang-up her phone too.

"We've got to find another couple to hangout with." Lois said. "That was an invitation to mud wrestling Friday night."

Clark cringed.

"How about you?" Lois asked nodding to his phone.

"I was just calling a friend of mine at Wayne Enterprises to see if I could get more information on this." Clark said waving the business section.

Lois perked up "You get anything?"

"He said to call back later."

"Good friend?" Lois asked with a weird look on her face.

"Yeah." Clark replied cautiously.

"Is he married?" Lois asked.

"Engaged. Why?" Clark asked

"I've been thinking Clark. If we really want couple friends then we're going to have to look outside the _Planet_ because let's face it, we've exhausted all of the options here. And I realized I don't have many friends that fit that criteria so it's up to you." The look in Lois' eyes made it clear she was serious.

Clark thought for a minute. He knew a few people that met those qualifications: two people in a serious relationship that weren't totally insane. Clark sighed almost too softly to hear. "I guess I could talk to his fiancée."

"Thank you." Lois grinned.

* * *

The following Friday Lois and Clark were in their kitchen putting dinner together for their double date with Clark's friends.

"Why aren't we going out to dinner?" Lois asked as she tossed a salad, the only thing Clark would let her do in the kitchen.

"You'll see." Clark replied with a mysterious smirk while plating the main course.

"You know, you haven't even told me your friends' names." Lois probed suspiciously.

"I haven't?" Clark asked unconcerned.

Lois sighed in frustration.

_Knock, Knock_

"Why don't you get that while I finish up here?" Clark suggested nodding in the direction of the door.

"Sure." Lois agreed, as she was pretty much the opposite of a domestic goddess and Clark was much more competent in the kitchen. She quickly checked her hair in the hall mirror and took a calming breath before opening the front door.

Standing on the other side of the door were a beautiful man and woman, both over 6 feet, with ebony hair and blue eyes. Lois didn't fail to recognize them. They'd been in the paper a lot recently, Bruce Wayne and his fiancée Diana Prince. _Friend at Wayne Enterprises my eye._ Lois thought.

"Hi, you must be Lois." Diana said with a genuine smile. Bruce stood silently next to her with laughter teasing the corners of his mouth.

"Yes, please come in." Lois said realizing there had been an awkward pause when she opened the door and was shocked speechless.

Clark joined them in the entrance while Lois was hanging up their January coats.

"Bruce. Diana." Clark smiled wide shaking hands with Bruce and briefly hugging Diana. "Glad you could make it."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later they were all sitting at the table eating dinner in an uncomfortable silence.

Lois was the first to break. "So how do you all know each other?" She asked and the awkward feeling in the room swelled.

"Clark and I actually met in Nepal when we were in college." Bruce volunteered.

"Nepal?" Lois was surprised.

Bruce nodded.

"Our paths crossed several times after that and we eventually struck up an odd friendship." Clark added.

"And did you meet Clark through Bruce?" Lois asked Diana, falling into reporter mode to cope with the situation.

"No actually, I met Bruce through Clark." Diana replied with a small smile.

"Really? Then how did you meet Clark?" Lois questioned.

"A little bird told me where to find him." Diana replied honestly.

Clark burst out laughing and Bruce smirked.

Lois didn't get the joke.

"One of my powers is the ability to communicate with animals." Diana explained. "The birds literally led me to Superman one day."

Lois couldn't decide what surprised her more, that Diana, and Bruce, if his lack of surprise was any indication, were aware that Clark was Superman, or the fact that Diana had powers too.

"I'm sorry, Lois. I didn't make proper introductions. Lois, I'd like you to meet my good friends Wonder Woman and Batman."

Lois quickly moved through shock, disbelief, and uncertainty to curiosity and surprise.

"Our apologies for the deception, Lois." Bruce said. "We couldn't pass up the opportunity to see your face when you found out."

"Bruce has something of a warped sense of humor." Clark added.

Diana nodded and Bruce just shrugged.

"Wonder Woman?" Lois asked in confirmation.

Diana nodded.

"And Batman?"

Bruce gave the smallest affirmative dip of his head.

"And you're all friends?" Lois continued in surprise.

They nodded.

"You guys hang-out with any other capes I should know about?" Lois clipped.

Bruce, Clark and Diana shared a significant look.

"Individually or as a group?" Diana finally asked.

"Both." Lois demanded.

"As a group, only the Flash and one of the Green Lanterns. Individually, we all have our own network of allies we call on when the need arises. I would imagine some people exist in all of our networks, Martian Manhunter for example, but the occasion has not yet arisen where we have all been required at the same time." Diana replied as diplomatically as possible, she was a princess after all.

Lois was surprised, but more at herself for not thinking of it sooner than the actual revelations.

"You guys don't have regular meetings at some secret clubhouse or anything do you?" Lois joked.

"Third Wednesday of the month, emergencies permitting." Bruce admitted.

Lois gaped. "How is it no one had noticed this before?" Lois wondered aloud.

"Discretion and luck." Bruce replied honestly.

The regular meetings were kind of new, only becoming necessary in the last year or so with the increase of non-localized criminal activity. They weren't a team per se but they could all see it was going that way; it was only a matter of time.

"That's why were eating in tonight, to reduce the risk of people making a connection between your secret identities." Lois deduced.

"Mostly, the rest is because Bruce and Diana are celebrities and none of us wanted to deal with the paparazzi." Clark replied and the other couple nodded.

Lois gave Clark a look that promised they'd be _talking_ later.

Silence fell again for a little while and Clark was the one to break this time.

"How is the wedding planning going?" He asked the other couple.

"We're eloping." Diana declared.

"What?" Clark demanded.

"Do you have any idea how complicated wedding planning is when the groom is the most famous man in town?" Diana asked. "It's a nightmare. I've given up."

Bruce smiled softly at her and laid a comforting hand on hers. "Unfortunately, Diana's right, it's been a nightmare."

"When did you guys decide this? I just saw you last week, you didn't say anything!" Clark cried.

"Yesterday." Diana admitted. "When the second florist leaked the details to the tabloids."

"So we've decided to have an intimate ceremony on Wayne family real estate." Bruce revealed.

"At the Manor?" Clark asked.

"Maybe." Diana said.

"But we have a few other sufficiently private properties in the US to consider too." Bruce said, mostly to Diana.

"We considered running off to the little Mediterranean island Bruce owns but then we'd have to deal with international marriage regulations and that kind of defeated the purpose." Diana said.

Lois watched the conversation with fascination.

"We'll let you know of course, so you can come." Diana smiled at both of them, making sure Lois knew she was including her in that.

Bruce nodded. "It would be odd to get married without a best man after all."

Clark froze and looked at Bruce. Silence fell for a moment and they shared a meaningful look.

"I would love to." Clark said with a huge farm boy grin.

Lois was kind of surprised; they really were good friends.

"Just out of curiosity, who is going to be your maid of honor?" Lois asked, thinking it would be maybe Hawkgirl, man finding a bridesmaid dress for her would be difficult.

"My friend Etta Candy." Diana smiled. "She was thrilled to be asked, I guess she was worried I was going to ask Hawkgirl or Black Canary or someone like that, but Etta was one of my first friends in Man's World and I can't imagine having anyone else fill the role."

Lois couldn't help but smile. Diana was genuinely a nice person despite the fact that she was a warrior princess about to marry a billionaire.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask Dick or Gordon." Clark commented to Bruce.

"It would be a little difficult for a thirteen-year-old or a man who technically can't know who I am to perform some of the duties required of a best man." Bruce laughed.

"Dick is your foster son, right?" Lois asked. "What does he think of you getting married?"

Bruce smiled. "He's thrilled. He adores Diana, thinks she's the best thing since sliced bread. Thinks she'll lighten me up and I'll go easier on him in training."

A few more pieces clicked into place for Lois. Dick Grayson must be Robin.

"Who knows though, I am a warrior born." Diana joked.

"Speaking of kids, what do you think of these sidekicks that are popping up all over the place, Robin and now Batgirl, those two boys with Aquaman, and the ones with Flash and Green Arrow, what are they, Speedy and Kid Arrow or something like that?" Lois asked Diana, her and Clark being the last major holdouts in the sidekick department.

Tension rose at the table and Diana sighed.

"Have you ever met Robin?" Diana asked.

Lois shook her head no.

"Most people never will, they hear about Batman taking a thirteen-year-old with him to patrol the Gotham night and scream child endangerment. But I have never heard anyone who has met him ever say that, including Commissioner Gordon. Why? Because he is an exceptional young person who does his job better than most people twice his age could, most of the sidekicks are like that, incredibly capable and responsible. They aren't just random kids chosen off the street; they've chosen this path for themselves and their mentors provide irreplaceable training, resources, and support for them. I can say with some certainty that they are all supported by mentors that take not just their safety but their future very seriously." Diana replied.

"Whenever you guys go public with this team of yours, you should have her do the PR." Lois said with a grin. They all smiled and Bruce squeezed Diana's hand under the table for her support of Robin.

All in all, dinner went pretty smoothly. Just 2 couples getting to know each other.

* * *

"How about a board game?" Clark asked after clearing dinner from the table.

"Sure." Diana shrugged good-naturedly. "What do you have?"

"Monopoly?" Clark asked x-raying the closet the games were in from the table.

"I think Bruce might have an advantage at that one." Lois smirked.

"Risk?" Clark asked.

"With an Amazon?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"Scrabble?" Clark continued.

"I hate that game. I don't even know why we have it!"

"I like it." Clark defended. "But I can spell too."

Lois gave her husband a withering look.

"We have a deck of cards too." Clark tried.

"Poker?" Bruce suggested.

"Clark won't play with me anymore." Lois huffed.

Bruce and Diana looked at the farm boy.

"She cheats. She has to. No one is that good at poker." Clark rambled desperately.

Lois smiled wide and not very innocently. "Army brat."

"How about charades?" Diana suggested.

Clark and Lois looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure." Clark said.

Bruce looked down at his wine glass. "I'm going to need a refill." He said glumly.

Lois grabbed a few sheets of paper off the printer in the other room and tore it into strips.

"Anything goes or a specific category?" Clark asked.

"Category, I think" Diana replied.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"What category?" Lois asked after handing everyone an equal number of strips of paper.

"Movies?" Clark tried.

"I'm not big on movies." Bruce said kind of sadly.

"TV?" Diana tried.

"I haven't had time to watch TV in years." Clark said.

"Me neither." Bruce and Lois said in near unison.

"Books?" Lois tried.

"I'm afraid I'm not very up to date on the literature of Man's World." Diana admitted.

"Music?" Bruce tried.

"I think it's safe to say none of us have the same taste in music." Lois said looking around.

Silence descended on the group again.

"Wow, this is really sad." Lois said. "And by sad I mean pathetic."

Clark laughed. "I guess we all get pretty busy with other things."

"I didn't even make an appearance this week as Diana Prince. I was working 20 hour days doing disaster relief in Southeast Asia." Diana sighed.

"The GBS buyout and a couple of Arkham escapes earlier in the week had me extra busy." Bruce admitted.

"I've been busy pounding the pavement this week on the Senate corruption story that broke Tuesday and then yesterday I was kidnapped and that always shoots the day to hell." Lois sighed.

"I don't even know where to start." Clark said. "This week was crazy. The mudslides in the Northwest, the riots in the Northern Africa, the corruption piece Lois mentioned, wildfires in Florida, Killer Frost's escape Wednesday, the list goes on."

"I think this is the first date Bruce and I have had since our engagement." Diana admitted thinking back.

"Unless you count joint missions or the evening we went to Dick's soccer game, I think you're right." Bruce replied.

"Do you think it's easier for you heroes to have a relationship with other hero or someone not in the life?" Lois asked after a moment thinking about the similar and different challenges between her relationship with her husband and the engaged couple in front of her.

"I think it depends on the couple." Bruce replied.

Diana nodded. "What really matters is if both parties are willing to put the work into it."

"I guess in that way it's not that different from a lot of relationships." Lois said.

"No." Clark said. "In some ways, it's like being in a relationship with a doctor or cop or firefighter who's especially dedicate to their job and on call all the time."

"Add in the secret identity complications and it doesn't really matter if it's one hero or two, it's a mess." Diana said thinking of her recent challenges adjusting to being Diana Prince.

All thoughts of games for forgotten and the conversation progressed naturally from there, the stupid reasons they'd given to escape some situation to save the day, Bruce's ability to slip out of a room unnoticed, and half a dozen other things they couldn't talk about with anyone else. And when Bruce announced they needed to leave at eleven no one tried to hide the fact that it was because he wanted to make a late patrol. It was nice.

* * *

"That was actually a fairly enjoyable evening." Lois said as they loaded the dishwasher after their guests had left. "Are any of your other Super Friends married?"

Clark sighed.

* * *

**REVIEW PLEASE! **


	14. Eloping

**Summary:** Jason and Stephanie with appearances from Cassandra Cain and Alfred. (Year 20)

**AN:** No real summary because I kind of want it to be a surprise. This is a little rough.  
I hope I didn't loose a whole bunch of people who were reading this under JL.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

Jason Todd rolled over as he was coming awake and took a deep breath. Honey, melon, and something distinctly Steph filled his nose and he slowly exhaled. His breath gently moved a piece of her hair away from her face and she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and locked with his. Cornflower met cobalt and a million things were said without a single sound being uttered.

He loved this girl. He loved the way she always attacked waffles as if she hadn't eaten in days. He loved the way her hair was never perfectly coiffed because she never sat still. He loved the fact that she felt the quip was just as important as the takedown. And he loved that even after everything she'd been through she was still full of hope and light.

He looked at her with pure love and she smiled that brilliant smile of hers that made him believe there was still good in the world.

"Let's elope." He said, his voice still gravelly from sleep.

Stephanie froze and then she blinked about a dozen times.

"Huh, what? Run that by me again." Steph stuttered, coming awake very fast.

"Let's elope." He repeated smiling.

"That's what I thought you said." She mumbled sitting up. "WHAT?!"

Jason sat up too, the blankets pooling around their waists revealing his bare chest and her tiny eggplant tank top. "Steph, you're hyperventilating. Breathe." He said taking her hand in his.

She did as suggested and tried to speak again "You… I… wha…eh…"

"Babe, try again." Jason tried. "It's just me."

Steph sighed. "Why?"

"It just seems like the right thing to do." Jason shrugged.

"Why?"

"I love you." Jason said.

He didn't say it very often and she didn't really need him to but it always made her feel all warm and gushy inside.

"I don't know. This isn't something you spring on a girl first thing in the morning." Steph complained.

"It's afternoon." Jason teased.

"You know what I mean."

"Do you love me?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied without hesitation.

"Do you want to get married in general?" He asked.

Stephanie thought about it for a minute before replying. She had nothing against the vague concept of marriage. "I'm not against it."

"Would you marry me?" He asked, almost properly.

She thought about that too. Would she marry him? Was he the first person she wanted to see when she woke up and the last person she saw before she went to bed, every night for the rest of her life? "Yes."

Jason grinned, relieved after the length of that pause. "Do you want a _Wayne_ wedding?" He asked.

"God no." Stephanie shuddered.

"So, let's elope." Jason said as if it was the most simple, logical thing in the world.

"Today?" Steph asked.

"Why not?" Jason said. "We can be in Vegas by late afternoon their time."

"On one condition." Steph said.

"What?" Jason smiled.

"Actually, there are one, two… five conditions." She said.

Jason chuckled. "Go ahead."

"Can I get a dress? I mean nothing elaborate but something new and I don't know, kind of special?" She asked hopefully.

"I would be disappointed if you didn't." Jason replied.

"Can I have a bouquet too? It's kind of a girl thing, we like flowers."

"Anything in particular?"

"Sunflowers." She said hopefully.

"That should be easy enough. What else?" Jason asked.

"Pictures. I want at least a few photos to remember our wedding day." Steph said.

"Me too." Jason agreed honestly.

Steph awkwardly hesitated.

"Come on, what else?" Jason prodded.

"Rings." She said quietly.

"You want an engagement ring?" Jason asked.

"I don't really care about that but I do want a wedding band and…" She trailed off.

Jason raised an eyebrow at her.

"I would really like if you wore one too." She said kind of quietly.

"I think I can manage that." He grinned and kissed her on the temple. "Lastly?"

"Cassie is in town. Can she come with us to be a witness?" Steph asked hopeful again.

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god, we're getting married!" Steph squeaked and kissed him passionately. They were both smiling like fools when she pulled away.

* * *

An hour later they were both freshly showered and dressed and Steph was on her cell phone standing in their walk-in closet packing a small bag while Jason made lunch.

"Hi, Stephanie." Cassandra Cain answered.

"Hey, Cass. How are you?" Stephanie said.

"I am good." Cass replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fantastic." Steph replied.

"Any reason why?" Cassandra asked.

"Can you keep a secret? What am I saying? Of course you can keep a secret! Jay and I are eloping!" She exclaimed. "But don't say anything to anybody."

"Of course not. But why did you tell me?" Cass asked.

"Are you kidding me? You're my best friend. There is no way a girl can get married without her best friend as maid of honor."

"You want me to" Cass started but Steph cut her off.

"Shhh don't even say it out loud in case someone is listening. But yes. So pack a bag because we might be gone overnight."

Cass smiled wide. "Okay."

"Great. Meet us at the manor at 3:30." Steph replied.

* * *

When Steph entered the kitchen a few minutes later Jason had his phone pinned between his ear and shoulder so he could use his hands to put a jar of miracle whip back in the refrigerator.

"So we were wondering if we could borrow you and the jet for a secret mission this afternoon." Jason said.

"Of course, Master Jason. Will you require the family jet or the other jet?" Alfred replied calmly.

"Just the family one. We'll explain when we get to the Manor." Jason said.

"Very well, Master Jason. Are you departing presently?" Alfred asked.

"No, we have a couple of things to do first. We'll be there about 3:00." Jason said.

He looked a Steph with a questioningly and she nodded.

"And Cassandra will be there at… 3:30." Jason said as Steph nodded again.

"I will begin making preparations." Alfred said.

"Thanks Alfie. Oh and keep this on the DL okay?" Jason said.

"Naturally." Alfred replied.

"Bye." Jason said since it was Alfred. He only said goodbye properly with Alfred, you did not hang up on Alfred.

* * *

When Jason and Stephanie arrived at Wayne Manor, they let themselves in without preamble and went directly to the kitchen, where they figured they'd find Alfred.

"Is anyone else home?" Jason asked.

"No." Alfred replied surprising the couple. "I convinced Master Damian to collect the children this afternoon."

They both nodded. And then Stephanie bust. "We're eloping."

Jason braced himself for the fall out. The coming lecture about his responsibilities as a Wayne heir, how disappointed Bruce and Diana would be, how they shouldn't rush into such a serious decision.

Alfred grinned widely. "I am very happy for you both."

Stephanie and Jason were shocked.

"No lecture?" Jason asked.

"Not even a why?" Steph added.

Alfred softly chuckled and the couple exchanged a confused look.

"Had one of your brothers come to me with this news then I may have been inclined to point out the potential flaws in this plan." Alfred said with a look that clearly said he would never dream of lecturing the Wayne children. "However, for them, elopement would be out of character."

"And it's not for us?" Steph asked trying to raise an eyebrow and failing.

"It is not. You both have a tendency to act more… spontaneously than the others." Alfred replied.

Jason excelled at rolling with the punches and Stephanie took a "by the seat of her pants" approach to life. Alfred couldn't imagine either of them doing something as traditional as marriage unless they didn't in a very unconventional way. No, he had never imagined a big white Wayne wedding for them.

"Well there goes the persuasive speech I came up with on the way over." Jason said.

"Would you like to give it anyway?" Alfred asked humorously.

"Nah, I'm good." Jason said quickly shaking his hands in front of him. "Really."

Alfred allowed a small smile to escape.

"So then, you'll be the second witness?" Jason asked in confirmation.

Alfred froze in surprise. _They wanted him to be one of the only two people to witness their wedding?_

"Please, Alfred." Stephanie said. "No one is there for us like you are."

"Of course." Alfred agreed flattered.

* * *

A few hours later, Jason, Stephanie, Cassandra, and Alfred were standing in the living room the beautiful two-bedroom suite Alfred and Cass were staying in. Jason and Steph were staying in an even more gorgeous suite in another part of the hotel.

"Okay, there are a couple of errands we thought would be safer to do here than in Gotham." Jason told Cassandra and Alfred. "Steph, why don't you and Cass go dress shopping? Call me when you're done and I'll let you know where we are on everything else."

"Are you sure?" Steph asked hesitantly.

Jason nodded.

"Alright, come on Cass we have shopping to do!" Steph grinned and pulled Cass out of the room with their elbows locked together.

"May I make a suggestion?" Alfred asked.

"Of course, Alfie. What do ya got?"

"The hotel concierge should be able to quickly and discretely make the arrangements for something nicer than a _Vegas_ wedding." Alfred replied, implying the Englishman was not going to allow tonight's proceedings garish in any way.

Jason nodded.

Less than an hour later, the concierge had arranged for the use of a private terrace for the ceremony, reserved the on-staff minister and photographer and even arranged Steph's sunflowers. Only leaving the rings and a new suit on Jason's to-do list.

At 10 o'clock that night, Vegas time, Jason and Alfred were standing on the terrace waiting for the ladies. Cass walked down the small path holding a single sunflower. Her one-shoulder sheath dress was red satin and fell to just above her knee.

Jason had the passing thought that that his sister cleaned up pretty good but then Stephanie appeared in the entryway and all thoughts were wiped from his head except _wow_.

Her dress was floor length made out of several layers of white chiffon. It had a sexy as hell slit on one side to just above her knee and eggplant accents on the bodice. It was halter style but the straps were lost in her hair, which fell in soft curls below her shoulders.

Stephanie took in Jason waiting for her. He was wearing a new, she could tell, English cut black suit with a white shirt open at the neck. His pocket square was eggplant and while she loved that, her favorite part was his face. He was looking at her in pure wonder and it made her feel like she was walking on clouds.

The ceremony was short and simple. Their first kiss as husband and wife made the minister and Alfred blush.

* * *

The first thing Jason saw the next morning was Stephanie's riot of blonde hair. The second was the little white lace thing she had worn for a short time last night and he grinned. He kissed her shoulder and climbed out of bed. He ordered waffles from room service and climbed in the shower.

Room service arrived just after he finished shaving and he answered the door in just a towel wrapped around his waist. After tipping the room service guy and showing him out he went back into the bedroom to wake Steph.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty." He said pushing her hair out of her face.

She grunted and rolled over.

He laughed. "Come on, Babe, breakfast just arrived."

She groaned.

"I got waffles." He said.

Her eyes popped open. "Really?"

"Yes." He grinned.

She sat up in bed, bringing the sheet with her.

"Come on." He said.

She looked around the bedroom for something to put on.

"I could loose the towel so we're even." Jason suggested.

"Later." She promised. "Is there a robe in the closet?"

"Yeah."

* * *

Steph moaned over her waffles causing Jason to lean over the small table and kiss her hard. She tasted like maple syrup.

"Hey, you smell like me." She said.

Jason chuckled. "I had to use your soap and shampoo. Trust me, it smells better on you." He loved that smell. Just like he loved it when she wore his shirts and nothing else. Or when she had a blonde moment in costume and called herself the _Dork Knight_. Or the way he already loved the new rings on their fingers.

* * *

**AN:** I have no idea where this came from! Once I started I just couldn't stop! PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE!

**Reply for Red: **Tam is the youngest daughter of Lucius Fox. She's a major supporting character in the Red Robin series, which I loved.


	15. Picture of Family: Diana

**Summary:** Just another day for Diana. _(Year 16)_

**AN:** Okay so on Earth 128 the phone poll went the other way and Jason lived. I wrote this chapter because this story is tagged Bruce and Diana and frankly there wasn't a lot of Bruce and Diana. Also, this is kind of rough.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

Diana woke early one morning and the heavy arm around her waist made her smile. Bruce had had a late night, only climbing into bed as the first rays of sunlight peaked. Diana had woken just enough to make sure he was okay and promptly fell back asleep only this time safely wrapped in his arms. It had become one of their many routines over the years. Waiting up all-night every night for him to return from patrol had ended before the honeymoon phase but there were still occasional nights he would find her dozing on the sofa in the library or resting in his chair at the bat-computer in the cave, usually when someone especially bad was out and she was worried or she had had an especially rough day herself. Luckily, last night hadn't been one of those nights.

She stretched under the weight of his arm and then leaned over to kiss him on his rough cheek. He made a subtle expression of happiness but otherwise stayed asleep. The sun was only a couple of hours into its journey across the sky but it was time for Diana to start her day. Bruce wouldn't usually begin his for hours.

After showering and dressing Diana wandered into the kitchen to find Alfred busy doing one of the innumerable things he did to make life at Wayne Manor move smoothly.

"Good Morning, Alfred." Diana said cheerily.

"Good Morning, Miss Diana." Alfred replied with a genuine smile.

"What is the run down for today?" Diana asked with a smile. It was a daily challenge that Alfred never failed to pass. He was perhaps the only person on the planet who could keep track of ALL of the Waynes' schedules in his head simultaneously. Diana found the ability fascinating.

"Masters Terrance and Matthew are planning a movie marathon as rain forecasted for most of the afternoon." Alfred said, putting aside what he was doing to start breakfast for the lady of the house.

"Let me know if they cause any problems. Being cooped up together all day might not end well." Diana sighed.

Alfred nodded and continued. "Miss Alexandria yesterday declared her intention of finishing The Golden Compass trilogy today."

She was so much like her Amazon sister Alexa; she loved curling up with a good book.

"As usual, Master Damian will be spending the day training. In fact, he and Miss Helena have a sparing match scheduled this afternoon."

"Which one started it this time?" Diana asked.

"I believe Master Damian insinuated that Miss Selina was a _common thief_ and thus inferior to Miss Talia as she is a _criminal mastermind_." Alfred replied, dismay barely detectable in his tone.

"Again? I'll talk to them tonight before patrol." Diana promised.

"Master Timothy will be with the Titans for at least another three days." Alfred said serving her an iced Mocha.

"I'm sure the team is thrilled to have him back. I know his time with them has been short lately." Diana commented.

"Miss Cassandra has plans to spend the day with Miss Stephanie doing _girl things_." Alfred almost chuckled and Diana did.

"Master Jason will be by later _to train_ and _maybe take on the winner_ of Master Damian and Miss Helena's _sparring_ match." Alfred said

"More like he heard Stephanie would be by at some point and hoped hanging out in the cave all day wouldn't look too much like he was hoping to see her." Diana scoffed.

"I am glad I was not the only one that noticed them at the wedding." Alfred said.

"No, Bruce and I both noticed their interaction. Bruce is worried." Diana admitted.

"And you Madame?" Alfred inquired curiously.

"I think they make an interesting match." Diana replied somewhat evasively.

Alfred nodded. "Also, Miss Donna stopped by this morning and dropped off the pictures. I must admit it is nice to have a photographer in the family when one is having a secret wedding."

"It's also helpful to know a florist." Diana laughed.

Alfred smiled and placed a plate of perfect eggs benedict in front of her.

* * *

Diana was back at the kitchen counter a few hours later, after answering a Justice League call, when Bruce walked in.

"Morning, sleepy head." Diana said.

"Morning, Princess." Bruce said and kissed her hello.

"I wasn't expecting you up before noon." Diana said after a glance at the clock confirming that he was awake and ready for the day at only 11:30.

"I have a meeting with Lucius at 1." Here replied. "Are those the pictures from Dick's wedding?"

Diana nodded. "Donna dropped them off earlier. This is the first chance I've had to go through them."

"Can I join you?" Bruce asked pulling out the bar stool next to her.

"Of course." Diana smiled and went back to the beginning of the pictures.

Alfred placed a mug of steaming black coffee in front of Bruce and asked whether he wanted breakfast or lunch.

"Lunch." Bruce replied and scooted closer to Diana to better see the photos.

Donna had taken what seemed like a million shots that day. She had covered all the basics like Barbara with her father and Dick with his groomsmen as well as every variation of the wedding party fathomable. But there were also fun shots like Roy scolding Lian for throwing her flower petals at Matt, with the aforementioned ring bearer standing in the background sticking his tongue out at her. There were also unusual shots like the best man, Wally, trying to adjust Kaldur's tie so it didn't rub weirdly on his gills. And the secret shots, like the bride with her fellow Birds of Prey.

One of Diana's favorites was a sentimental shot of Dick standing proudly between Bruce and Alfred, none of them related by blood but three generations of the same family nonetheless. One of her other favorites was a silly picture of Dick and Matt. Dick was looking down at his youngest brother and Matt had a panicked look on his face while he patted down his pockets. The rings were visible in Dick's hand and his stern expression was impeded by the twitch on his lips.

One of Bruce's favorites was a shot taken in the rose garden of the Wayne women. Barbara stood out beautifully with her red hair and white dress surrounded by Diana, Lena, Cass, and Alex. They all wore smiles more beautiful than their dresses and Donna had some how captured the love, happiness and acceptance in the shot. One of his other favorites was a silly shot taken of the boys. Dick had Matt draped across his shoulders and the five-year-old was giggling madly. Tim was tickling Terry and the eight-year-old was bent over simultaneously laughing and trying to get away. Not to be out done, Jason was giving Damian a noogie and the twelve-year-old looked disgusted. The oldest three boys were all sporting large mischievous grins. It was just the boys being brothers and it made his heart soar.

Alfred's favorite was a shot of the whole family, the one taken before the formal shot. Bruce was adjusting Dick's tie while Diana straightened Alex's dress. Jim Gordon was pushing a lock of hair out of his daughter's face. Damian was dusting invisible lint from Terry's shoulder and Matt was trying to smooth out his wrinkled pants. Lena was trying to fix Tim's hair and Tim looked like he was humoring her. Jason and Cass were just standing there waiting, Jason slightly impatient and Cass completely unfazed.

"They came out really well." Bruce said.

"You expected otherwise?" Diana teased.

"No." He admitted.

Diana smiled at him.

"I have to go or I'm going to be late for my meeting." Bruce said glancing at the clock.

"Shall I pull out a selection for the newspapers?" Alfred said as Bruce stood to leave.

"Yeah. Pull about 10 appropriate ones and Dick and Barbara can pick when they get back from their honeymoon." Bruce replied.

"Very good sir." Alfred said.

"Oh and make sure Jim gets these." Bruce added.

"Of course sir." Alfred said.

Diana grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her and kissed him deeply. When she pulled away Bruce was left a little off center. She loved that she could still do that to him after all these years. "Go or you'll be late." She said with a teasing smile.

"Right." Bruce nodded.

"But don't spend all day there." Diana added, allowing a little seduction to slip into her voice as he started to walk away.

Bruce quickly backtracked and this time he kissed her. She pulled away before it could deepen. "Bye, Bruce." She whispered.

He groaned and pulled completely away. "Bye, Princess." He said and finally left.

Diana sighed and retook her seat at the counter. She looked back at the last picture. The bride and groom stood center stage, as they should be, the wedding party flanking them. And on the steps behind them stood their families, the entire batclan, the Justice League founders, Dick's team and the Birds of Prey, in other words, everyone who had attended. The shot would never be see in the media, at least not while anyone in it was alive, but it was the perfect illustration of their life. A life full of friends, family, teammates, and love that she couldn't have imagined before coming to Man's World.

Alfred cleared his throat, bringing her back to the present.

"Sorry, Alfred."

"Don't be, Miss Diana."

* * *

Bonus points for anyone who knows who the florist was. PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE!


	16. Close Your Eyes

**Summary:** Songfic about Bruce and Diana _(Year 5)_.

**AN:** Sorry there haven't been more updates lately and this is another short one. I've been working on several other chapters but not getting very far.

Normally I'm not a songfic person but I heard this song on the new Michael Buble CD and it was just too perfect. Only some of the lyrics are included.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Batman, Wonder Woman, Dick Grayson, or Batgirl. DC Comics does. I don't own Close Your Eyes by Michael Buble either. Oh or Am I Blue

* * *

Dick followed the faint sound of music down the winding halls of Wayne Manor to the ballroom. The double doors weren't closed completely and the thirteen-year-old could clearly make out the words of "Am I Blue", which, for reasons unknown to Dick, was Bruce and Diana's song. After a moment's hesitation he peaked through the small gap between the doors.

The lights were just bright enough to illuminate the two people slow dancing in one corner of the room. Diana's head was resting on Bruce's shoulder and one of her hands was tangled in his short hair. Bruce was holding her very close and his eyes were closed in happiness. They were moving slowly to the rhythm of the song, lost in each other.

When the song ended Diana stopped dancing and looked up at her husband. Dick suspected if he could see Bruce's eyes now they would be shining with rare tenderness. A soft smile spread across the Princess' face and Dick started to leave but hesitated when another song started.

He didn't recognize it and neither did Diana, if her reaction was any indication. In the few months Bruce and Diana had been married Dick had caught them dancing like this on at least two other occasions but always to "Am I Blue". Sometimes he wondered if they played it on repeat.

Bruce started them dancing again but Dick could tell Diana was paying special attention to the song lyrics. Bruce wasn't exactly known for being romantic but she had learned to read between the lines. So had Dick, Bruce wasn't good at expressing feelings but he never did something without a reason.

_You're one of a kind  
Thank god you're mine  
You're an angel dressed in armor  
You're the fair in every fight  
You're my life and my safe harbor  
Where the sun sets every night_

Dick smiled. He wondered where Bruce had come across this song; it was oddly appropriate for Diana.

_It's your beauty that betrays you  
Your smile gives you away  
Cause you're made of strength and mercy  
And my soul is yours to save  
And when this much is true  
When my world was dark and blue  
I know the only one who rescued me was you_

The couple had eyes only for each other and Dick suspected that the background had slipped away for them. Diana's grin could light up the room, like she had just achieved some major victory, and Bruce's smile was the widest Dick had ever seen it, except for maybe when Diana was walking down the aisle toward him at their small secret wedding.

Even though they were basically Dick's parents and were essentially standing in the ballroom making goo-goo eyes at each other and smiling like fools, the sight didn't gross him out like it might have many of his peers. He was thrilled to see them so happy. They both deserved it.

Diana's lips touched Bruce's and Dick took that as his cue to leave. They were still newlyweds after all.

Walking away from the ballroom, in the vague direction of the study and the secret entrance to the batcave, Dick decided to give Batgirl a call; maybe they could patrol together tonight. He had a feeling Batman might be making a rather late patrol tonight, if at all.

* * *

**AN:** Three of the chapters I've been working on are turning into multi-chapter fics. I have a Darkseid invasion, a massive Arkham escape and Titans thing. Can I get some thoughts? Interested? Not?

And as always PLEASE review. PLEASE!


	17. Fluffy Crisis

**Summary:** The Wayne family rallies to solve small crisis. _(Year 9)_

**AN:** This just popped into my head. I hope you like it.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

Bruce and Diana sprinted down the hall toward the sound of their daughter's hysterical crying. The fearless superheroes terrified she was in danger or hurt. They came to an abrupt halt in the doorway of her bedroom and quickly determined the room was secure and the three-year-old was uninjured.

"What's going on?" Diana asked Lena who was sitting on Alex's bed trying to calm her down unsuccessfully.

"I don't know. I heard her start crying and came in to find out what was wrong but I can't understand her!" The eight-year-old replied upset.

"Alexandria, what's the matter?" Diana asked softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

The little girl crawled into her mother's embrace and her hysterical wailing subsided to desperate sobbing. She still wasn't making much sense.

Dick and Jason appeared in the doorway a few seconds later, both teenagers looking frazzled.

"What's the deal?" Jason asked grumpily.

Dick shot him a look.

Jason shrugged.

"He's… _gasp_…_sob_…mi…_gasp_…ing." Alex gasped.

Jason looked at Lena and they both shrugged.

Bruce took in the room again, this time looking for something specific. Dick did the same, also catching on to the problem.

When they were done their eyes met and they both subtly shook their heads.

Bruce kneeled on the floor at the edge of the bed in front of Alex and Diana. "Where was the last place you saw him?" He asked.

"I… _gasp_…don… _gasp_… remem…er." She said utterly distraught.

"I'll check the game room." Dick volunteered and quickly left.

"I'll check the nursery." Bruce said, not wanting any of the kids to accidentally wake Terry in the search. "Lena you look in here again. Jason you check the playroom."

"What are we looking for?" Jason asked still terribly confused.

"Aquabear." Bruce replied seriously.

Jason's eyes snapped to his youngest sister and everything fell into place. "On it."

The Wayne family was in hardcore search and rescue mode for a very familiar tan bear with a orange and green t-shirt that bore the symbol of Atlantis and thus, on the surface world, Aquaman. The stuffed toy had been a gift for Alex's first birthday from "Unckie Arfur" and much to her father's dismay she had instantly taken to it. Aquabear had quickly become Alex's favorite toy and thus an irreplaceable bedtime companion. No one in the Wayne household would sleep tonight until the bear was found and returned to the tiny princess' arms.

Time passed incredibly slowly while the search was on. After what seemed like eternity, but was really about 10 minutes, there was a shout and then the unmistakable sound of running down the hall.

Jason appeared in the doorway again, this time holding the lost bear.

"Alex, look." Diana gently prodded.

She sniffled and looked at where her mother was pointing. Her bright blue eyes caught sight of the bear in her brother's arms and she jumped off the bed and ran towards the fourteen-year-old. "Akwabear!"

Jason grinned and knelt down to give her the bear.

She crushed the bear to herself and her tiny heart was comforted the way only a teddy bear can manage. She leapt at Jason, knocking him off his haunches onto the floor with the bear squashed between them, just as Dick and Bruce reached the room. "Tant tu, Jay." She said softly.

Jason grinned and rubbed her hair. "No problem, little bits." He said and hoped Dick miraculously missed the fact he was now sitting on the floor. No dice.

Alex crawled off her brother and stood in front of Bruce and Dick. "Jay found Akwabear." She said hugging the bear tight and swaying back and forth.

Dick grinned and ruffled her hair. "That's great." He said, successfully managing not to burst out laughing at his brother being knocked on his ass by a toddler.

"All better?" Her dad asked scooping her up.

"Uh huh." She smiled.

Helena and the boys wished Alex a good night and went to bed and the cave, respectively.

Bruce deposited Alex in her bed and Diana finished tucking her in.

"Good Night." Diana whispered and kissed her forehead.

"Night, Mommy." Alex replied.

"Night." Bruce said softly and also kissed her forehead.

"Night, Daddy." Alex replied.

Bruce shut off the light and the relieved parents left.

"Night, Akwabear." Alex whispered, squeezing him tight, slightly curling around him. Everything was right with her small world and she was asleep before her parents reached the end of the hall.

* * *

**AN:** mbembet you were in luck. The plot bunnies favored you this week with a fast update.


	18. Picture of Family: Terry and Dana

**Summary:** Dana has dinner with her boyfriend's family. _(Year 26)_

**AN:** Longest chapter yet. Sorry this isn't a _Guess Who's Coming to Dinner_ update but this just really wanted to be finished. Just a note for any car people reading, I may mention cars that aren't actually in production but since this is in the future just go with it.

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

It was Saturday afternoon and Terry Wayne, second youngest of the nine Wayne heirs, was sitting in a booth at Rhino's having lunch. Rhino's was a popular haunt for the teenagers of Gotham. It was famous for its chili but had all the foods teenagers love, like wings, burgers, and cheese fries, all for cheap.

Terry's girlfriend, Dana Tan, was sitting next to him and his best friend, Maxine Gibson, was sitting across from him. Dana's friend Chelsea Cunningham was sitting across from Dana complaining about her father's disapproval of her most recent boyfriend, Rick.

"My parents don't like Terry either." Dana sympathized with Chelsea between bites of extra spicy chili.

"Are they crazy? He's a Wayne!" Chelsea replied.

Dana shrugged. "According to my dad, all Waynes are playboys."

"I guess they do have that reputation." Chelsea replied looking at Terry funny.

"I've lived in Gotham my whole life," Max said, "and I've never heard of a Wayne cheating. Sure they play the field quite a lot and they can get a little wild but once they get serious about someone that's it."

"Yeah, Ter, your Dad's wild oats sowing days are still legend." Chelsea said.

"I think that's the fear." Dana said reluctantly.

"That I'm just using you. That you're just one of dozens before I find the one I'm going to get serious about because we're still in high school." Terry sighed.

Dana nodded and Terry could tell the fear wasn't just her parents'.

"Have they met Terry?" Max asked.

"Yeah, I don't think it helped." Dana admitted.

_**Flashback**_

_Terry was standing in the foyer of the Tans' house waiting for Dana with her parents. _

"_So, Terry, tell me about yourself." Mrs. Tan said. _

"_What do you want to know?" Terry asked. _

"_What do you do when you aren't at school?" Mrs. Tan asked. _

"_Or doing homework?" Terry joked; Gotham Academy was notorious for their heavy workload. "Normal stuff I guess, hanging out with friends, playing vid games, stuff like that." Terry shrugged. "Sometimes I help with Wayne Foundation or Neon Knights stuff. I spend a lot of time with my family." Terry replied. _

"_Family is important." Mrs. Tan said._

_Terry nodded._

"_The men in your family have a less than stellar reputation when it comes to women." Mr. Tan accused. _

"_Dad!" Dana exclaimed, finally joining them. _

"_No, it's okay Dana." Terry interrupted. "He's right."_

_Mr. Tan looked slightly triumphant. _

"_It's not a secret. It's been spelled out on page 8 of the Gazette for generations. Even my grandfather was known as a womanizer before meeting my grandmother." Terry replied. _

_That took the Tans by surprise. Bruce Wayne wasn't the only one who had practically sainted his parents, the whole city considered them untouchable. To hear Dr. Wayne's own grandson claim he was anything less than perfect, to taint his reputation, was unimaginable. _

"_Sorry to run off, Mr. and Mrs. Tan, but if Dana and I don't get going we're going to miss our movie." Terry said._

"_Have her home by eleven." Mr. Tan said still slightly confused._

"_Of course, sir." Terry replied and they left. _

_**End of Flashback **_

"Yeah, but you guys have been together for like ever." Chelsea said. "What's his deal? I mean if Terry was going to flake I think he would have done it by now."

"It changes." Dana said. "Sometimes it's the cancelled dates or something he saw in the paper. Last week he spent 15 minutes ranting about how if Terry was really serious about me, I would have properly met his family by now."

"Really?" Terry asked surprised.

Dana nodded.

"We can do that if it'll help get him off your case." Terry said. "They've been pestering me about it for months but I've been trying to save you the inquisition."

"Really?" Dana was slightly surprised.

"Yeah." Terry replied. "I'll talk to my parents tonight. You're sure? My family can be kind of overwhelming." Terry checked.

"Yeah." Dana nodded.

.

Three days later, Terry was sitting in the Gotham Academy cafeteria with his best friend Max, his forehead on the table.

"What's the matter, Ter?" Max asked.

"You know that whole thing at Rhino's Saturday?"

"Yeah…" Max said as if it was the stupidest question ever.

"My parents recommended bringing Dana over dinner Friday night."

"Sounds perfect. What's the problem?"

"Somehow Dick found out and it's turned into a Family Dinner." Terry replied, as if that explained everything.

"I still don't get it. Wasn't that the whole point? For her to meet your family?" Max asked.

"Max, Family Dinner means my _whole_ family is coming."

Max, being the brilliant Gothamite she was, quickly put the pieces together. _Uh Oh._

"What's the matter with Terry?" Dana asked a minute later when she sat down next to him.

"Your thing Friday got turned into a full on Wayne Family Dinner. I think he's afraid they're going to scare you off." Max replied.

Terry groaned from his spot under his arms on the table.

"It's not a big deal Ter." Dana told him putting a comforting hand on his head.

"You don't understand, Dana. All of my siblings are coming plus their families, it's going to be like Thanksgiving, in February, without the turkey."

"It'll be fine." Dana replied calmly.

"You're sure?" Terry asked. "I mean I could tell them you had an emergency dance rehearsal or some massive test to study for."

"I'm sure, Terry. I mean, how bad could it be?" Dana replied.

_Famous last words._ Terry thought

.

Terry rang the bell of the Tan's house a little early Friday night knowing some of his brother's had already arrived back at the Manor.

Mr. Tan opened the door, his usual scowl firmly in place.

"_Of course."_ Terry thought. "Good Evening Mr. Tan. Is Dana ready?"

"Not yet, Wayne. What are you two doing tonight?" The overprotective father demanded.

"We're having dinner at home with my family." Terry replied trying really hard not to grimace.

"Your entire family?" Mr. Tan asked speculatively.

"Yes, sir." Terry nodded.

"They don't mind you bringing Dana?" Mr. Tan questioned.

"I think you have it backwards sir. Dana isn't coming to a Family Dinner. We're having a Family Dinner so everyone can meet Dana." Terry replied.

Mr. Tan looked surprised.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Ter." Dana said stepping into the room.

"No problem, my family can entertain themselves for awhile." Terry smiled.

"And Wayne!" Mr. Tan hollered as the teens headed out the door, Dana shouting good-bye over her shoulder.

"I know, I'll have her home by 11." Terry replied.

.

Dana watched Terry as he expertly navigated the streets from her house to his. They had been together 2 years, which in high school was like forever, and she thought she knew him pretty well. He didn't tolerate bullies and had gotten in trouble a couple of times for beating someone up to protect someone else, never himself. Few people messed with him because he was a _Wayne_ and there was a certain prestige that went with being a Wayne. Everyone wanted to be Terry's friend and he was cool with almost everybody but at the end of the day his real friends often fell at the bottom of the social totem poll, the scholarship kids. Not because he liked to lord his wealth over them but because he was a genuine, nice guy and preferred people who were real.

"Nervous?" Dana asked sarcastically. She knew he was nervous.

"A bit. Aren't you?" Terry glanced at her.

"Not really." Dana replied.

Terry sighed.

They chatted their way through the city and Terry merged onto the expressway going north and then crossed over the Kane Memorial Bridge into Bristol. With the cityscape shrinking behind them, the upper-class homes could be glimpsed through the trees that lined the roads. And then the looming wrought iron gates of stately Wayne Manor came into view and Dana's apprehension made itself known.

Several cars were already parked in the long driveway, three on the right and two on the left with plenty of space left for at least a half a dozen more cars and room for everyone to still get in and out quite easily. Terry parked on the left and they walked past the other cars to the door. Three were all high-end ecofriendly SUVs, a Tesla Model X, a Lexus RX Hybrid and an Audi Q5 TDI. None of which meshed with the bad boy image her father seemed to have of Terry's brothers. The fourth car was a completely insane looking supercar with the most ridiculous side view mirrors Dana had ever seen. That seemed to fit with playboy image the _Wayne Boys_ were known for and Dana couldn't tear her eyes away from it.

"It's a train wreck, right?" Terry asked noticing Dana had significantly slowed.

"I can't decide if it's incredibly cool or incredibly bizarre." Dana admitted. "What is it?"

"A Zonda. I'm sure Helena would love to show it to you later. She just got it." Terry chuckled.

"Wait, this is your sister's car?" Dana was surprised.

"Yeah." Terry replied with a shrug and a glance back at his Corvette Stingray they had just gotten out of. "We all like fast cars."

Dana glanced at the SUVs and raised an eyebrow at Terry.

"Supercars aren't really practical for everyday use but we all have a _drool car_ parked in the garage. Most only get used for special occasions." Terry replied.

"Drool car?" Dana laughed.

"That's what Steph named them. Cars where the most important things are aesthetics, speed, and sound; everything else be damned."

Dana shook her head at Terry's out of character display of wealth.

The last car between them and the door was a Kia Soul that was a couple of year old.

"And the Kia?" Dana almost laughed.

"Nell's." Terry replied simply but the answer meant absolutely nothing to Dana so she just shrugged and followed Terry up the half a dozen stairs to the front door.

He unlocked the door and ushered her in ahead of him.

There was a low background noise audible when they came in. Terry took Dana's coat and hung it, and his, in the coat closet by the door. She was just about to tease him about his manners when they heard a female voice in the background yell "They're here."

Terry face palmed and grumbled something about cousins, marriage, and Kansas.

Dana tried not to laugh.

.

Dana had seen Mrs. Wayne on the news and in the paper but it didn't do her justice. Even with the conservative black glasses covering her blue eyes she was gorgeous. She had a wide genuine smile and approached Dana with an extended hand.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Dana. We've heard so much about you." She greeted shaking her hand.

"Mom." Terry muttered embarrassed.

"It's nice to meet you too." Dana replied. "Only, good things I hope."

"Of course." Diana replied, her grin widening even further.

Terry was blushing a little at this point.

"Oh come on Ter. You know you talk about her all the time." Matt said joining them.

"You don't know what you're talking about, twip." Terry said.

"Don't call your brother a twip." Diana chastised reflexively.

"Hey, Matt." Dana smiled at the younger teen.

"Hey, Dana. How're you doing?" Matt asked.

"I'm okay. You?" Dana replied.

"Good." Matt replied.

"Wait a second." Terry interrupted. "How do you two know each other?"

"We do go to the same school." Matt replied.

Terry opened his mouth with a sharp retort but Diana interrupted him. "Enough you two."

Both boys grumbled but did as they were told.

"Why don't you two take Dana to the den while I go see if Alfred needs a hand with dinner." Diana said.

.

The _den_, Dana discovered, was actually two rooms, the family room and the game room.

The family room had a fireplace on the west wall that was flanked by built-in shelving. The space above the fireplace was home to a large family portrait from about 10 years ago. The north wall had the largest picture window Dana had ever seen. The wall was made almost entirely of glass, including the two French doors that led outside to a large brick patio. There were heavy wooden double doors on the south and east walls. The one on the south wall they had just come in and led to the hall. The one on the east wall was propped open to reveal the game room on the other side. The family room was decorated with sturdy comfortable furniture and tastefully framed family photos.

The game room was huge. The entire east wall was a built-in shelving unit. In the center was an enormous TV. The rest of the built-in housed every conceivable gaming console, a multitude of controllers, an incredible game collection and all the necessary hookups. Strategically placed around the TV was seating for 6 and surround sound. The rest of the room was filled with a billiard table, an air hockey table, and a foosball table. Next to the door on the west wall was another built-in cabinet that kept the equipment to turn the pool table into a ping pong table and all the necessary gaming equipment like pool cues, ping pong balls and extra air hockey pucks. The north and south walls of the game room were the same as next door in the family room.

Both rooms were full of people talking and laughing. Some were sitting, some were standing, and one girl was even standing on her hands.

"Welcome to the Mad House." Terry whispered into her ear.

Dana couldn't help but smile.

"I guess it's time I introduce you around." Terry sighed.

Terry led Dana over to a nearby group of women gathered around the fireplace.

"Everybody, this is my girlfriend, Dana." Terry said to the group.

"Dana, this is my sister-in-law Barbara Gordon-Grayson." He said gesturing to a red haired woman in her mid-thirties and the two females shook hands. "This is my Aunt Donna." He said pointing out a dark haired woman about the same age. "My sister-in-law, Tam Fox-Wayne," a beautiful African-American woman that was quite a few months pregnant, "my sister-in-law, Stephanie Wayne, and her beautiful daughter, Evelyn," a vivacious blonde woman in her early thirties and an adorable eighteen-month-old with golden tresses, "and my oldest sister Cassandra." an Asian woman about 30.

Dana greeted all of them and Terry excused them to go meet more people.

On one side of the room a small group of kids was messing around.

"Hey guys." Terry said crouching down closer to their level. "This is my girlfriend, Dana."

"Does that mean you _kiss_ her?" The smallest boy asked with a disgusted face.

"Yeah, sometimes." Terry replied trying to keep a grin off his face.

"Eww." Both boys chorused. The little girl giggled.

"Dana, this is my nephew Nick," a dark haired 4-year-old with a mischievous glint in his eye, "my cousin Cameron," another dark haired boy a little bit older, "and my niece Annie." a spritely 8-year-old ginger that had been standing on her hands earlier.

They all shook Dana's hand and Dana grinned. Terry shook his head and led Dana into the game room.

Four men in their early to mid thirties were playing pool. The tallest wolf whistled when they came in and the oldest elbowed him in the ribs causing him to grunt. This drew the attention of everyone else in the room and soon they were surrounded. Dana instinctively took a step closer to Terry.

"You did good little bro." The whistler teased.

"Knock it off Jay." Terry said. "And you're too old."

"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate a beautiful young lady." Jason flirted.

Terry sighed. "Dana, this piece of slim is my older brother Jason."

Dana laughed when he kissed her hand instead of shaking it. Terry rolled his eyes.

"This is my oldest brother, Dick Grayson." He said introducing the man that had elbowed Jason earlier.

"Don't let Jason get to you." Dick said shaking her hand.

"You'll get used to him." A shorter man said extending his hand.

"Tim Drake-Wayne." Terry introduced "Another older brother."

"And Conner Kent." Terry said finishing off the pool group. "Tim's best friend and my cousin's husband."

"You apparently already know Matt." Terry said skipping over the freshman. "This is my niece, Mar'i Grayson." He said pointing to a teenager with long black hair and solid green eyes.

"You go to GA too, right?" Dana said shaking her hand.

Mar'i nodded. "I'm a freshman, like Matty."

"This is my cousin, Cassie Kent," a shapely blonde woman about thirty, "my middle sister Helena," a woman in her mid-twenties with short black hair, "my youngest, but still older, sister, Alex," a beautiful woman about twenty with long curly black hair, "my youngest older brother, Damian," a slightly older, slightly tanner, more rugged version of Terry, "and his girlfriend, Nell Little." an attractive African-American with wild curly hair and wide brown eyes.

Dana shook everyone's hand and smiled and was genuinely pleased to meet everyone but she knew there was no way she was going to remember even half of their names.

"Now that all that is out of the way, shall we eat?" Alfred said surprising Terry whom didn't know he was standing behind him.

.

After Bruce's parents had been murdered dinner at Wayne Manor was quiet and solemn and it stayed that way even several months after Bruce had taken in Dick. From then on though dinner at the manor slowly grew in noise and glee with each new face. Now, Family Dinner at Wayne Manor was a boisterous affair that Thomas and Martha would have been proud of, full of happy smiling couples, rowdy children, sibling rivalry, petty squabbles, and lots of laughter.

The Wayne family had left the seat next to Bruce and across from Diana for Dana and Terry gallantly pulled out the chair for her. Dick shot Terry a teasing look and Terry scowled back at him across the table but the scowl turned to laughter when Dick pulled out the chair for his wife, Barbara. The ginger winked at Dana in a conspiratorial way and Dana smiled.

As far as Dana was concerned the interrogation at dinner was pretty minor but she didn't know about the extensive background checks several family members had performed on her this week. Most of the questions she was actually asked were for appearance sake.

"You're attending Gotham Academy on a Wayne Foundation Scholarship for the Arts, correct?" Bruce _questioned_.

"Yes, sir. Dance." Dana replied calmly.

"What kind of dance?" Diana asked.

"All kinds. Ballet, ballroom, modern, hip-hop, Latin, I just love to dance." Dana explained.

"Do you plan to pursue it after high school?" Bruce asked.

"Yes." Dana replied.

"Her audition for Julliard is in two weeks." Terry added.

"Best of luck." Diana smiled.

"Thanks." Dana said blushing slightly.

"You should bring her to the next Wayne Gala." Tim suggested.

"Yeah, that way you'd have someone to dance with besides the cougars." Jason joked.

"Maybe he likes the cougars." Damian insulted.

Nell elbowed him in the ribs quite hard and he let out a wolf of air.

The rest of the meal was similar, someone would ask her a question, she would answer it, and then there would be teasing and laughing and reprimanding, and the cycle would repeat. It was the absolute opposite of Tan family dinners.

The closest the Tans came to a family dinner were the few nights a year her grandmother would eat with them. Those were quiet and serious and formal. The kind of meal where the conversation stuck to current events and manners and etiquette were strictly adhered to and there was always an air of lofty detachment. Even though they were her family and there were only four of them, she still felt like she barely knew them and they barely knew her.

The Waynes were different. There was almost a 20-year gap between the oldest and the youngest of the siblings but she got the distinct impression they were all involved in each other's lives. Tim asked if Terry was doing any better in calculus, which he had been struggling in all semester. Damian asked about Jason's motorcycle, which had sounded like it was running raw the last time he'd seen him, whatever that meant. Helena asked Tam if they had picked a middle name for the baby yet. Cassie confirmed plans with Stephanie for a shopping trip with Kara and Courtney for the weekend. And so on and so forth right down the table to the kids whom, considering the age difference, were getting along fairly well.

Most surprising for her were Mr. and Mrs. Wayne though. Even now, in his forties, the media usually regarded Mr. Wayne as a charming fop, slightly foolish and very lucky, and Mrs. Wayne, his arm candy trophy wife, beautiful and poised, enchanting at parties but easily fading into the background the rest of the time. That was definitely not the couple in front of her. Mr. Wayne was quiet and serious, his eyes doing most of the talking for him and even then only if you were paying very close attention. She had glimpsed a loving look for his wife, pride for one son, disapproval for the actions of another and frustration with another but mostly vague satisfaction. Mrs. Wayne was warm and dynamic, engaging and intelligent. Yes she was poised and beautiful, but it wasn't the kind of beauty that left you feeling cold and insignificant, it was warm and uplifting like it radiated out of her soul rather than her pretty face. Dana wondered how this woman ever faded into the background.

Also surprising was the range in Terry's siblings' personalities. The media tended to lump them together, the Wayne Boys and the Wayne Daughters or the Adopted Waynes, the Bastard Waynes, and the Real Waynes, which always really bothered Terry. In fact though, all of Terry's siblings were very different, it was easily glimpsed at dinner. Dick was chatty and overwhelmingly friendly, Jason acted like a tough guy but was totally whipped by his wife, Cassandra was quiet and watchful, Tim was sweet and shamelessly doted on his wife, Helena managed to pull off rebel princess without looking totally ridiculous, Damian was an odd combination of exceedingly well mannered and completely without tact, Alex was amiable and intelligent, and Matt was imaginative and sometimes a little shy.

The Wayne Wives, as the media called them, had one thing in common, they were all beautiful but that's where the similarities ended. Barbara gave the impression of being very in control and Dana suspected in the Grayson household Dad was the fun one and Mom was the strict one. Stephanie was bright and cheerful and didn't put up with any crap. Tam was independent and supportive, able to stand shoulder to shoulder with her husband in the corporate world and keep him grounded at home. Nell, while not a Wayne Wife yet, though definitely headed that way, was enthusiastic and tough, she called Damian on his bullshit when it mattered and it easily rolled off her when it didn't. It was no wonder the Waynes never cheated, they had each met their match and none of them were stupid enough to let it go. They all seemed like remarkable women and for an instant Dana wondered if she was even in their league. And then Terry smiled at her and the instant passed and she knew it didn't really matter.

* * *

Oh and I keep forgetting to add this: The florist was Black Canary. In the comics she had a flower shop called Sherwood Florist. I always thought that was kind of cool.

Vote in the poll on my profile page.

PLEASE REVIEW! I have kind of mixed feelings about this now that it's done.


	19. Job Hazards

**Summary:** Dick is shot in the line of duty but not as Nightwing. Takes place before PoF:Dick, in fact this is alluded to in that chapter. This is also only weeks after Dick proposes to Babs. _(Year 14)_

**AN:** Sorry this isn't the update to Monday or Blackout (more details at end), but at least it's something. Inspired by Nightwing #81. _Indicates thought. _

**Disclaimer:** The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

Amy Rohrbach watched as the door swung closed in front of her. She shook her head and pulled her cell phone out of her pants' pocket. She took a deep breath and dialed the Bludhaven Police Department HQ.

"Hey, Karen." She said. "Can you get me Grayson's ICE?"

"Yeah, no problem. I heard about what happened." Karen said while she retrieved the information.

Amy didn't respond to the implied question, she didn't have anything to say. She just stared at the hallway's plain taupe wall, replaying the night's events in her mind, while she waited.

"Here we go." Karen said and Amy pulled out the pad she always carried to jot down the name and number.

"Thanks." She said and disconnected the call.

She hated this part. She quickly dialed the number before she lost her nerve and stared at the name. Dick didn't talk about his family much; office gossip was he was an orphan, so she wasn't surprised to see his ICE contact had a different last name.

The phone rang three times, but just as she figured it'd go to a machine, it was answered by a man with an English accent. "Wayne Manor."

That threw Amy for another loop, but it had been one of those nights. "Uh. I'm looking for Alfred Pennyworth." Amy said after a second.

"This is he." He replied surprising her more.

"Oh, uh, good. This is Captain Amy Rohrbach with the Bludhaven Police Department." She started.

"Yes?" The man said, knowing this wasn't going anywhere good.

"My partner, Dick Grayson, has you down as his In Case of Emergency contact." She continued.

"Is Master Richard alright?" He asked.

It took her a second to remember Dick's real name was Richard.

"I'm afraid that's why I'm calling. Officer Grayson was shot in the line of duty tonight." Amy pressed on. "I don't think it's life threatening but he's still in with the doctors. He's at Bludhaven General Hospital."

"Thank you for the call, Captain. I'll be sure to inform the rest of the family." The Englishman replied.

"Just doing my job." Amy said and the call ended.

_Like I should have been earlier._

She knew she couldn't have done anything differently but she still felt guilty for her partner getting shot. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and made her way to the surgery waiting room

_Master Richard?_ She wondered as she walked down the bland hospital halls. _Odd._

She sat restlessly in the waiting room for almost 90 minutes but no nurse or doctor came in asking for Grayson's family and no one came in claiming to be them. Finally, unable and unwilling to wait any longer, she approached the nurse's station.

"Can you give me an update on Di…Richard Grayson?" Amy asked, as politely as her frayed nerves would allow.

"Are you family?" The petite nurse asked.

"I'm his partner." She replied.

The word had a whole bunch of meanings these days, but the nurse's sharp eyes took in her police uniform and decided she wasn't going to ask for clarification. The nurse nodded and retrieved the information.

"He came out of surgery fine. He's heavily sedated in recovery now. The doctor's expect him to make a full recovery." She replied.

"Thanks." Amy nodded and dragged her weary body toward the door.

On her way out the of the hospital two dark haired men rushed passed her, nearly knocking her over.

The smaller of the two paused momentarily to make sure she was okay and then rushed to catch up to the larger one. The larger man was visibly angry and was making harsh demands of the nurse at the desk. Amy lingered a moment to make sure she didn't need to step in and arrest him.

The shorter man firmly moved the other out of the way and took over talking to the nurse. She clearly heard him say the word brothers but the rest was inaudible from that distance. The nurse nodded and the larger man began to calm as she responded to their questions.

Amy turned and continued to exit the hospital, feeling confident she wouldn't need to step in.

On her way across the parking lot, a small piece of her mind was upset that no one like the two men had shown up for partner. He was a good man, and a great cop, and he deserved someone to worry and support him on nights like tonight.

* * *

Amy called the hospital in the morning to see if Dick could have visitors and was relieved to find out he could and that visiting hours were pretty much all day and well into the evening.

She quickly dressed for work, not knowing if she'd have time to come back to change, and headed back to the hospital.

The door to Officer Grayson's room was open and she was relieved to find her partner awake and sitting up in bed, grinning, when she peeked in. She was also pleased to see he was far from alone. There was a red haired woman sitting on the edge of his bed holding his hand, an older gentleman sitting in only the visitor chair, as well as a couple about fifteen years older than Dick and a boy about ten years old standing around the bed.

"Amy." Dick said cheerfully when he spotted her in the doorway.

"Hey partner, how are you feeling?" She asked, relieved to see him in his usual high spirits.

"Fine." He said and shrugged. He winced as pain shot through his body from the shrug.

The red haired woman shook her head at him.

"Do take it easy, Master Richard." The older man chided in an English accent.

Dick shot him a look that clearly said he thought the other man was being overprotective.

"You must be Mr. Pennyworth." Amy deduced.

"Indeed. A pleasure to meet you, Captain." Alfred replied politely. "I only wish it could have been under better circumstances."

"Me too." Amy smiled wanly.

"Sorry, Amy. Let me make some introductions. You apparently already know Alfred." Dick said bemused.

"The Captain was kind enough to call the Manor last night to inform us of your injuries." Alfred replied.

"Yes, why is Alfred your emergency contact number?" The redhead asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He can always be reached." Dick shrugged, and winced, again. "I haven't had a chance to update the form yet." He added quietly to try and pacify her.

She nodded.

Amy cleared her throat before the situation could become too uncomfortable.

"Ah, right, introductions." Dick replied. "This is my fiancée, Barbara Gordon." He said holding up their joined hands.

"Nice to finally meet you." Amy said. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Only good things I hope." Barbara smiled.

"Of course." Dick replied in mock disbelief.

Barbara shook her head.

"And this is Bruce and Diana my uh… adoptive parents." Dick continued indicating the slightly older couple uncomfortably.

"Nice to meet you both." Amy said shaking both of their hands. Even though she could never remember Dick ever mentioning a Mom or Dad, she did recall mention of a Bruce and Diana on rare occasions.

"You too." Diana smiled and Bruce nodded.

"And this is one of my little brothers, Damian." Dick finished pointing to the stern looking boy.

The ten-year only nodded at her but didn't say anything. _Weird kid._

"The rest of the family will be by later." Bruce said to Dick

"We didn't want to overwhelm you." Diana added with a smile.

Amy wondered how much more family there could be if they were worried about over whelming him yet she had never heard him talk about siblings. They spent a lot of time together and Dick was naturally chatty. It was part of his charm. He talked a great deal about a lot of different people, especially Barbara and two men, Tim and Wally, but he never used last names, never used words like brother or sister, and she had always just been under the impression he had a lot of friends.

_How much do I NOT know about him?_

* * *

Amy only stayed about twenty minutes, feeling like an intruder in a family affair, and went into work early to get through the mountain of paperwork that came with your partner being shot.

She returned in the afternoon, under the pretense of delivering some paperwork for him to work on if he felt up to it, but really she wanted to check up on him again. She wasn't feeling quite as guilty as she was yesterday but it was still there.

The door was open, like it had been in the morning, and Dick was still sitting up in bed smiling, surrounded by people. However, everyone that had been there in the morning was gone, and two men and two women close to Dick's age, had replaced them.

The men both had red hair, one of the women was blonde and the other had dark hair. They were all in good shape and quite tall. They stood around Dick's bed, the visitor chair left ignored.

She wasn't sure she wanted to disturb them, but Dick spotted her before she could sneak away.

"Amy!" Dick said, surprised to see her again.

"Sorry to interrupt." She said to the group, walking completely into the room. "I just wanted to bring by the mountain of paperwork that goes with getting shot."

"Oh goody, your favorite." One of the men joked and the group chuckled.

"Guys, this is my partner Amy Rohrbach. Amy, these are some old friends, Wally, Roy, Artemis, and Donna." Dick said.

"Nice to meet you." She said on autopilot, recognizing the names from various stories of his teen years.

Her eyes stopped on Wally and lingered for a moment. "You're not the Wally that…"

"No need to bring that up." Dick interrupted.

The blonde, Artemis, shot Wally a reproving glare and elbowed him in the side.

Wally tried and failed to give her an innocent and clueless look.

"Whatever the end of that sentence is, the answer is probably yes." Artemis said to Amy.

Amy laughed and the tension in her stomach eased again. She took in the group of friends more closely and her gaze lingered on Donna.

Donna looked at Amy quizzically, as did everyone else.

Amy shook her head. "Sorry, there's just something very familiar about you."

"Ah." Someone said, though Amy didn't notice whom.

"I believe you met my sister this morning. We look quite a bit alike." Donna replied with a familiar smile.

Amy thought for a second, the only woman she met this morning was "Your mom?" Amy asked Dick.

Dick winced and his friends laughed.

"That would make you his, aunt?" Amy concluded confused.

Artemis snickered but Roy and Wally burst out laughing. Dick and Donna grimaced.

"Technically." Dick admitted.

"But we're more like cousins." Donna clarified quickly.

"You know it's a good thing you and Kory never accidentally had any kids." Artemis said. "They'd have the same problem with your little brother that you and Donna have."

_For Dick to have a kid Damian's age he would have to have been like 11 when they were conceived. No way. He must have a brother younger than Damian. _Amy thought dismissively.

"Speaking of the littlest ones, we should probably get out of here before Alfred shows up with them." Donna said.

The others reluctantly nodded.

"Well, I have to get back to the station." Amy said feeling out of place again. "Glad to see you doing so much better, Dick."

"Thanks, Amy." Dick said.

Amy waved the files she was still holding and put them on the table in the room. Dick grimaced and Amy left with a smile and a wave to the group.

* * *

Amy had spent most of the day doing paperwork, starting long before her shift did and running straight through until it ended. She was tired, the kind of tired that came from boredom, and not physical exertion. The hospital was on her way home and she couldn't help but stop one more time to look in on Dick.

His door was still open, and she wondered if it had been closed at all today. She peeked in and was surprised to find only one other person in the room. Dick and the other man turned to the door as soon as Amy entered.

"Sorry, to disrupt you. I was just on my way home and I thought I'd see if you needed anything." Amy said quickly.

"Three times in one day, Amy? Better watch it, or Babs will get jealous." Dick joked.

The other man snorted. "The only woman that ever makes Babs jealous is Kory."

Dick winced.

"An ex, I presume?" Amy smiled.

"Big time." The other man answered.

She recognized him.

"You stopped to make sure that other guy didn't hurt me when he ran into me last night." She said.

He nodded.

He had serious eyes and carried himself in a graceful manor that she suddenly realized was in direct contrast to his age.

"Jay can be a little rough around the edges." The man, no teen, replied.

Dick looked at the two of them in confusion for a minute. "I remember you guys coming in after I got out of surgery. It was late, really late, they didn't want to let you in."

"It wasn't that late." The teen replied. "Only about 2."

"You were just leaving at 2?" Dick asked his partner surprised. "Did something else happen? Are you okay?"

That was Dick for you, always worried about other people, never thinking about himself.

"No, I'm fine. I just wanted to make sure you got through surgery ok, especially when your family didn't show like I thought they would." Amy replied.

Dick and the teen exchanged a look.

The teen held out his hand, "Tim Drake-Wayne, one of Dick's little brothers." He said and Amy shook his hand

"The family dispatched us to make sure Dick was ok. But between living on the other side of Gotham and the wreck on the bridge last night, it took us over an hour and a half to get here." The teen said. "Jay was pissed."

Dick nodded as if to confirm the absent man's anger.

Amy couldn't help but smile. _His family had come._

"I'm sorry, visiting hours are over." A nurse said popping her head into the room.

They all nodded and the nurse moved on to the next room.

Tim and Amy said goodbye to Dick, Tim grabbed a backpack out of the visitor chair, and he and Amy headed out to the parking lot together.

Amy studied him while they waited for the elevator and he didn't seem seemed fazed by her inspection.

"I'm adopted too." He said as the elevator doors closed behind him.

"Sorry, it's just once you get past the superficial, neither of you really look related to Bruce or Diana. Your other brother does." She said.

"Jay?" Tim asked confused. He didn't think she'd gotten a good look at him last night.

"Oh, no, sorry, I met Damian this morning too." She replied.

"I'm sorry." Tim mumbled rhetorically and Amy smiled.

"So, he's always like that?" She asked.

"With me he is, he seems to like Dick better." The elevator doors opened again and they walked toward the exit.

"I'm glad you were here last night. Dick's a good guy, he deserves to have people who love him." Amy said as they reached her car.

"Don't worry, he does, lots of them." Tim smiled and continued down the row to motorcycle. He pulled a leather jacket and helmet from his backpack and put everything on. He waited for Amy to start her car before pulling out of the parking lot and heading back to Gotham.

When Amy pulled into her driveway she was in much better spirits. _I think I'll only stop by the hospital once tomorrow._

* * *

As always, please review. :)

Special note to those eagerly awaiting the next chapter of Blackout. Inspiration for chapter 2 struck me today so I hope to make significant progress on it tomorrow. Oh, and if you didn't catch it, chapter 1 was slightly extended.

Special note to those eagerly awaiting the next chapter of Monday. I realized the other day that I made a major but common mistake: I published before I was ready. I'm not sure about Monday's fate at the moment. I'm tempted to takedown what I have, FIX and FINISH it, and repost it as a one-shot. But for now consider it on hiatus. I'm VERY sorry.


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